Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 233: Chapter 165: Ultimate: Let the Killing Begin

Weakness. Wan Ze didn’t like the sound of that word.

However, if he remembered correctly, the Ultimate Effect of the Horizontal Training Technique was immunity to the negative side effects of Cultivation Techniques.

The problem was, he had never tested just how strong this immunity was.

He couldn’t possibly bet his life on it.

He cherished his life and never took chances on things he wasn’t sure about.

As he was thinking, his communicator suddenly vibrated.

The moment he answered, Zhai Jia’s frantic voice burst out, rapid-fire like a machine gun. ”Ah Ze! Quick! Where are you? We’ve confirmed the item’s location! Those bastards from the Secret Palace are involved, just as we thought! Brother Yu has already gone ahead, and I’m heading into the city now! Hurry up, send me your location. I’ll come get you!”

Wan Ze shot to his feet.

”The Secret Palace again?”

”Yeah! We’ll talk when we meet! Hurry!”

”I’m at the guest house. Let me know when you arrive,” Wan Ze said as he rushed to a cabinet, taking out his hidden sword and mask.

After hanging up, Wan Ze began to wipe his sword clean.

This was, after all, a sword meant for killing.

...

...

「Twenty minutes later.」

The car sped along the mountain road, branches flashing past the window.

Zhai Jia gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. Words tumbled out of his mouth. ”Do you remember Shan Wu? He’s from the seventh floor of the Secret Palace. He was the one who set up the connection for Earth Rat’s team back then. It’s a strange story...”

”Earth Rat said... that day they found the place, the coffin had a lock on it. It was rusted shut and impossible to open. A few of them struggled with it for half the night, trying everything. Just as they were about to give up and leave, the lock just... CLICK! It fell off on its own.”

He glanced at Wan Ze. ”Can you believe it? A thousand-year-old lock, just falling off by itself. To be honest, I wouldn’t have believed it before either. But I don’t get it. If it really was *that person’s* doing, why wait until we showed up to enter our dreams? Something’s definitely off here.”

Wan Ze didn’t speak, waiting for him to continue.

”They opened the coffin, and inside... the senior’s physical body was supposedly wrapped in a layer of something transparent. Earth Rat said it was like amber. Anyway, he could tell it wasn’t anything ordinary, so he didn’t dare touch it... Shan Wu made the call on the spot and took the body. But right after they left the tomb, they ran into another group. To this day, Earth Rat still doesn’t know who those people were. All he knows is that anyone who was too slow to run died. He got lucky, tumbled down a slope, and barely escaped with his life. Even after he was caught later, he didn’t dare rat out Shan Wu.”

Zhai Jia sneered. ”He didn’t dare because Shan Wu held the lives of his entire family in his hands.”

Wan Ze glanced at him. He didn’t ask how Zhai Yu and Zhai Jia had managed to pry the information out of Earth Rat, but he figured they must have had their ways.

After a moment of thought, he asked, ”Brother Yu went alone?”

Zhai Jia nodded, his expression grim. ”The lab is deep in the mountains. Earth Rat only found out about it by accident. He said Shan Wu has a team that’s been hiding out there all these years, studying that body.”

”So... it’s just the two of us going as backup right now?” Wan Ze asked.

The corner of Zhai Jia’s mouth twitched into a you-know-what-I-mean look.

”Of course we have a backup plan. But for something like this, the fewer people who know, the better. That’s why it was just the three of us to start. The people I brought will only move at the last possible moment.”

Wan Ze understood.

’If this blows up, no one gets away clean.’

’Shan Wu has the Secret Palace behind him. If word gets out, forget about getting the body back—it’s questionable whether the three of them could even make it back alive.’

’The plan is to operate in secret for now. It’s best not to use reinforcements if they don’t have to.’

’If it really comes to that, at least they have a surprise ace up their sleeve.’

”You should get some sleep,” Zhai Jia said. ”We’ll be there in an hour.”

Wan Ze nodded and closed his eyes.

The car jolted slightly, and the roar of the engine gradually faded into the distance.

He slowed his breathing, allowing his body to enter a state of semi-rest.

His gaze shifted downward, scanning the familiar row of data.

[Physical Strength: 2.66]

[Intelligence: 2.51]

[Agility: 2.56]

[Endurance: 2.56]

[Power: 2.71]

[Coordination: 2.54]

’Horizontal Training Technique, Mysterious Shadow Step, Iron Mountain Fist, and Basic Swordsmanship have all been pushed to the Ultimate level.’

’He had presentable Martial Skills like Palm Blade and Divine Martial Twelve-Ring Leg, with about nine techniques having reached the Special Level. But the Heart Blade he had condensed gave his combat prowess a massive boost.’

He calculated silently.

’With my current Attributes, if I go all out, I should have no rivals in the Refining Viscera Realm Middle Stage.’

’And with the Soldier Immortal Technique I got from Qin Jiu... I’m confident I could even take on someone at the Refining Viscera Late Stage.’

’The only uncertainty is who the Secret Palace will send.’

’What if they have a Refining Force master stationed there...?’

Wan Ze took a deep breath.

’The period of weakness from the Soldier Immortal Technique is a huge problem.’

’But the Ultimate Effect of the Horizontal Training Technique is immunity to negative statuses—that’s my biggest trump card, and also my most uncertain one.’

He opened his eyes and glanced out the window.

The mountains grew deeper, the signs of civilization more sparse.

Zhai Jia focused on driving and said no more.

...

The car continued along the bumpy mountain road for another ten-plus minutes. The surroundings grew more desolate, the trees denser.

”BOOM!!!”

An explosion suddenly erupted in the distance. Flames shot into the sky, and the blast was strong enough to make the car windows tremble.

The expressions of Wan Ze and Zhai Jia changed simultaneously.

”Not good! That must be Brother Yu!”

Zhai Jia slammed the accelerator to the floor. The car shot forward another few dozen meters before screeching to a halt.

The road ended. Only a narrow, well-trodden footpath led deeper into the mountain forest.

Without a word, the two of them quickly jumped out of the car.

Wan Ze pulled a mask from his coat and quickly fastened it over his face.

It was a bronze-colored demon mask with bared fangs and upturned eyes, concealing his entire face... He had always kept the Thunder Celestial God mask.

Zhai Jia also pulled a mask from his pocket and put it on, but it wasn’t the Fire Celestial God mask. He explained in a muffled voice, ”I gave the Fire Celestial God mask to Brother Yu. This one is the Guanzhong Saber Ghost.”