Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 259: Chapter 171: Qi Refining Technique Obtained, Tallying the Gains

Wan Ze slammed his head hard against the ground.

THUD!

The forehead of the man in green robes struck a protruding rock. His vision went black, and he nearly passed out.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Wan Ze gripped him and smashed him into the ground again and again.

The impacts sent shattered rock flying.

The face of the man in green robes was a mask of dirt and blood. His nose was broken, his lips were split, and several of his teeth had been knocked out. The pain was unbearable.

After a dozen or so slams, he was dizzy and his vision was a blur. Gritting his teeth, he snarled, ”Don’t humiliate me! If you’ve got any guts, just kill me!”

Hearing this, Wan Ze stopped.

The man in green robes thought he was finally going to be put out of his misery. A flicker of relief crossed his eyes.

And then...

He saw Wan Ze swing his sword and sever his right arm.

”AAAAAAAAAH!!!!”

The man in green robes let out a bloodcurdling scream, like a pig being slaughtered. Qi Essence poured from the stump of his arm, and the intense pain sent his body into uncontrollable convulsions.

”Stop! Stop! I’m begging you! I’ll give you anything you want! Please—”

The screams quickly turned into pleas for mercy, his choked sobs sounding inhuman.

Wan Ze crouched down, his face devoid of expression. He looked at the man on the ground, who had been so arrogant just moments before, and said softly, ”Tell me... your Cultivation Technique.”

The man in green robes froze, completely stunned.

He stared at Wan Ze with wide eyes, his gaze filled with disbelief.

’You... you actually want that?’

He couldn’t understand why someone who had already cultivated such powerful Swordsmanship would be interested in his kind of unorthodox Magic Technique.

He had experienced the power of that Swordsmanship firsthand. Over a hundred sword strikes had plowed the area several meters around them into a deep pit.

Swordsmanship of this caliber would be considered a sect-defining treasure in any Major Sect.

How could someone possessing such Swordsmanship possibly be interested in the heretical arts of the Puppet Yin Sect?

He wanted to ask if Wan Ze was insane.

But when he met Wan Ze’s eyes, the words caught in his throat.

The calmness in those eyes was nearly cruel, as if he were looking at a tool... to be kept if useful, and thrown away if not.

He had no doubt that if he uttered a single word of refusal, the next sword strike would land on his neck.

”I’ll give it... I’ll give you everything...”

The man in green robes tremblingly raised his remaining left arm. With the last of his strength, he gestured to the Storage Ring on his finger, allowing Wan Ze to take it.

It was an entirely black ring, its surface etched with intricate Runes, from which a faint, dark red light seemed to flow.

He fumbled inside his robes for a moment and pulled out two Jade Scrolls.

”Inside... one is the Puppetry Technique of the Puppet Yin Sect.”

The man’s voice trembled. ”It includes how to refine Blood Corpses, how to control Puppets, and how to nurture them with Yin Qi... All the related notes are inside. I couldn’t get all of the Puppet Yin Sect’s core Magic Techniques, but this... this is enough for the Spirit Awakening Realm.”

He swallowed and continued, ”The other... is the beginner’s guide to the Asura Hall’s Blood Evil Celestial Net. When used, it can imbue your Qi with a venomous quality that corrodes an opponent’s flesh and bone. If you use it in conjunction with a Blood Corpse, its power can be doubled... It’s just the Beginner Level; I haven’t learned the more advanced parts. The Blood Evil Celestial Net has higher Realms. At later stages, you can condense Blood Evil into armor, making you impervious to blades and spears. Further still, you can achieve Blood Evil Transformation, allowing you to create a Blood Evil Clone... but I wasn’t qualified to learn any of that...”

Wan Ze put away the Storage Ring and the two Jade Scrolls, his face unreadable.

The man in green robes spoke cautiously, his voice tinged with a probing tone. ”We don’t actually... have any grudge against each other.”

Wan Ze nodded, looking at him. ”So you’re aware of that.”

A flicker of joy ignited in the man’s heart, and he quickly said, ”So... what happened today was my fault. I was blind and failed to recognize greatness, and I offended you, Fellow Daoist. Since you have the Magic Techniques now, how about you let me go? I promise, I will never mention what happened today to anyone. No one from the Puppet Yin Sect or the Asura Hall will ever know about—”

SCHLICK—

The sword rose.

A head fell to the ground.

The expression on the man’s face was frozen, his mouth slightly agape as if he were still speaking.

His body swayed for a moment before crashing to the ground. The cut on his neck was as smooth as a mirror. A few seconds passed before a torrent of blood gushed out.

Wan Ze stared impassively at the headless corpse and said flatly, ”I preferred your old arrogant and untamed self.”

He then bent down, grabbed both the headless body and the severed head, and turned to stride out of the deep pit.

...

Feng Jiuchen stood outside the pit. He couldn’t see what was happening at the bottom, but he could clearly feel the surrounding air grow chillingly cold, oppressed by a sharp Sword Momentum.

He wasn’t worried about Wan Ze’s safety...

’What a joke. After those hundred-plus sword strikes, forget one man in green robes—even a real Deceitful Beast would have been minced to pieces.’

He was just sensing the residual Sword Intent in the area, and he was astonished.

’This Sword Intent...’

’It’s sharp, domineering, and clean, without the slightest bit of hesitation.’

’It’s not like the sinister cunning of the Puppet Yin Sect or the savage violence of the Asura Hall. Instead, it has an upright and honorable aura, as if it’s telling you outright... I’m going to cut you down. What are you going to do about it?’

’The origin of this Sword Intent must be extraordinary!’

”It seems I’ve underestimated Fellow Daoist Wan after all,” Feng Jiuchen muttered to himself, shaking his head with a wry smile.

Just as he was wondering whether to go in and take a look, he saw Wan Ze stride quickly out from the bottom of the pit and casually toss the man’s headless body and severed head onto the muddy ground nearby.

”Holy hell!!!”

Feng Jiuchen sucked in a sharp breath of cold air, his eyes wide as saucers.

He looked at the corpse on the ground, his lips trembling a few times before he finally managed to squeeze out, ”Fellow Daoist Wan, you’re... formidable!”