Chapter 137: Shadowless Tower Arrives
Golden Ape Martial Arts School, Li Jinshan once again helped Su Yan block an invitation, using the excuse that his junior brother was in secluded cultivation and temporarily unable to attend the banquet.
Ever since Xiang Ge and the others from Beast King Sect left, Su Yan, who had obtained a first-class recommendation token, became the hot commodity among all the families.
Banquets, recruitment, making friends… all families used every means, all wanting to leave some goodwill.
Not to mention future favors, just the possibility that their own disciples might cross paths with Su Yan in Beast King Sect was enough for them to invest in building relations.
Su Yan selected banquets from the Lin family siblings, Wang Family, Hundred Herbs Hall, Tian Feng Weapon Shop, and a few others, accepted their gifts, and gradually declined the subsequent invitations.
The so-called banquets, with toasts clinking back and forth, were truly boring, not as satisfying as his cultivation.
The excuse used by Li Jinshan was, for Su Yan, actually true.
Li Chuan spent all the thirty to forty thousand taels of silver Su Yan gave him, exchanging it for medicinal herbs to refine beast essence pills and blood essence condensing pills.
There were some medicinal herbs for five aggregates pills as well, but compared to the effects of the above two on true intent realm martial artists, they were somewhat weaker.
Su Yan refined the medicinal herbs one by one into beast essence pills and blood essence condensing pills.
A total of 124 beast essence pills and 40 blood essence condensing pills.
The quantity seemed substantial, but with the appetite of four insect tamers, it wouldn’t last one or two months before the beast essence pills ran out.
Refining medicine took three to five days, and in the remaining time, Su Yan spent almost all of it in the backyard, practicing Eighteen Styles of Blood Tiger and Blood Slaughter Hand.
Tempering martial skills, aside from that one moment of enlightenment, the rest was just hard work.
Su Yan was even more straightforward and brutal: if he didn’t understand after one practice, he practiced ten times, a hundred times.
Every practice, he exerted full strength, muscles and bones powering like dragons, spear sweeping like a tiger.
With the fierce insect cauldron on him, every mistake in practice was referenced against proficiency changes, grasping every detail without omission.
Under such tempering, mastery of Eighteen Styles of Blood Tiger and Blood Slaughter Hand climbed steadily.
In just a month’s time, Su Yan thrust one spear, unleashing three tigers charging, like blood shadows covering the sky.
He struck bare-handed, a large blood hand seal lifting a curtain of blood, like a blood hand overturning the sky, stirring everything.
【Eighteen Styles of Blood Tiger 12/400（Great Accomplishment）】
【Blood Slaughter Hand 1/400（Great Accomplishment）】
Breaking through two stages in a row, both martial skills reached great accomplishment realm.
“Blood Slaughter Hand reaching great accomplishment is thanks to the foundation of Fierce Ape Three Forms, otherwise it would have taken more time.”
Su Yan finished and calmed his qi, sighing inwardly. Although Fierce Ape Three Forms wouldn’t directly convert to Blood Slaughter Hand proficiency.
But mastering one leads to mastering all.
With one or two fist techniques at transformation realm, he already had a solid foundation in understanding fist and foot techniques.
Now learning other martial skills, even if more complex and powerful.
The previous foundation would still provide much help during cultivation.
“If I follow this method and can truly integrate the strengths of a hundred schools, perhaps I can create cultivation manuals compatible with fierce insects…”
A thought flashed in Su Yan’s mind, but he shook his head and cast it aside.
He was now just a true intent realm martial artist; thinking about these things was still too early.
“First go to Tian Feng Weapon Shop to pick up the spear, then try the Hundred Poisons Gu Seal.”
Su Yan simply packed up and left Golden Ape Martial Arts School.
On the streets of Yun Cang Town, people came and went, footsteps even more hurried than usual.
Hundred Herbs Hall and Little Mountain Association had another conflict in the desolate mountains, though the conflict wasn’t large.
But this conflict arose over medicine mountain and medicine fields, dragging in Eight Directions Trading Company, Li Family, and other forces.
Each had their own grudges, and there had already been some small clashes.
It was just that true intent realm martial artists hadn’t made a move.
Though the disturbance was outside the city, it also affected Yun Cang Town.
In a few days, Xu Guan had caught several troublemaking martial world guests.
Ordinary people couldn’t afford to provoke martial artists, so they could only avoid them and try not to stir trouble outside.
Su Yan arrived at Tian Feng Weapon Shop, which was much livelier than usual, with quite a few martial world guests at a glance.
“Young Master Su, you’ve come. Please follow me to the backyard.”
The steward saw Su Yan arrive and immediately came forward to greet him.
He apologized: “Young Master Fu is handling business in the neighboring county and led the team there himself, unable to receive you personally. Please forgive him, young master.”
“No need for that. Brother Fu has important matters; I’m just here to pick something up anyway.”
“Your matters are also major matters for Tian Feng Weapon Shop.”
The steward was very smooth, speaking flattering words; in his previous life, he would have been a top sales manager at least.
He led Su Yan to the backyard, to Ge Ming’s courtyard.
“Third Shopkeeper, Young Master Su from Golden Ape Martial Arts School is here.”
“Mm, invite him in, then step back.”
“Yes.”
The steward withdrew, Su Yan entered the courtyard. Ge Ming was wearing short clothes, exposing his wheat-colored muscular body, with no fewer than a dozen scars.
In his youth, he certainly wasn’t just an ironworking shopkeeper.
He grabbed a pitch-black long spear from beside him and tossed it to Su Yan.
Su Yan smiled, reached out to catch it, sinking slightly, then exerted force in his hand, spinning the spear shaft and shaking out a spear flower, extremely deft.
“Your scorpion tail is of extremely high quality, making this long spear far better than I expected. Second-order mid-grade long spear, just shy of high-grade. Weighs three hundred jin, about ten feet long, can cut metal stone, contains a fierce intent.”
Three hundred jin heavy; for an ordinary person, even lifting it would be nearly impossible.
In a martial artist’s hands, to wield the spear like an arm, handling the heavy as if light to perform martial skills, isn’t easy either.
Unless one’s cultivation is decent.
Su Yan exerted force in his hand, sweeping the great spear, producing a piercing whoosh through the air, like a black feral beast sweeping past, fierce intent nearly spilling out.
He performed one move of Eighteen Styles of Blood Tiger, faint tiger roar sounding, true essence condensing like a tiger, shattering a stone block with one strike.
“Hey, practice all you want, but don’t cause destruction in my courtyard. Go to the front training ground.”
Ge Ming blew his beard and glared, though a trace of shock was in his eyes.
‘Good spear technique, good strength. This kid only got Beast King Sect’s spear technique how long ago, yet he’s already at this level of handling heavy as if light? Stone block shattered evenly, this power…’
Experts see the way; as an artifact refiner, Ge Ming had authority on how well a weapon performed.
Su Yan had just gotten the weapon, yet it was indeed extraordinary, adapting very quickly with a deep foundation in spear techniques.
“Master Ge’s craftsmanship is superb. I got carried away with the itch to test it; please forgive me, senior.”
“Forget it.”
Ge Ming shook his head: “Since you’re satisfied, I’m relieved. Speaking of which, for your long spear, the Chen Yao girl also helped process that divine scorpion tail.”
He paused slightly, then said: “Give it a name.”
“Scorpion Profound Spear.”
“Scorpion?”
Ge Ming pondered slightly and nodded: “Don’t waste this long spear. If possible, help the Chen Yao girl in Beast King Sect; this old man thanks you here.”
Ge Ming wasn’t one skilled with words either; Ye Chenyao was his disciple, already regarded like a daughter.
He knew the bigger the sect, the fiercer the competition and greater the pressure.
Ye Chenyao’s talent was decent in Yun Cang Town, but in a large sect, she might only have a chance to compete with others.
Su Yan’s talent was stronger; perhaps he could offer some help.
“Within my power, naturally we’ll help each other.”
Su Yan didn’t stay long at Tian Feng Weapon Shop, carrying the Scorpion Profound Spear as he walked out the gate.
Though the spear shaft was wrapped in cloth strips, its shape made it clear to anyone that it was a long spear.
Those seeking to buy weapons saw him take a weapon from the inner courtyard and all showed envious looks.
But it was merely envy, because many recognized Su Yan.
In Yun Cang Town, to make a move on Su Yan, unless you were a true intent realm martial artist, you simply couldn’t match him.
Su Yan walked through a few streets and alleys, found a secluded spot, and stored the long spear in the insect realm space.
Now with the long spear in hand, his abilities advanced another level, with more means in combat and facing enemies.
Just as he returned to Golden Ape Martial Arts School, he suddenly saw several scaled horses stop at the martial arts school gate.
Li Chuan strode out, followed by several blood moving realm disciples and one spirit nurturing realm guard.
“Elder Li, are you heading out?”
Li Chuan’s expression was slightly grim, footsteps hurried; clearly something had happened.
“Some riffraff appeared around Golden Ape Village; I need to go clear them out for a while.”
Su Yan frowned slightly. Riffraff around Golden Ape Village?
Golden Ape Village wasn’t like Little Mountain Association or Hundred Herbs Hall; though it had planting and other industries, there wasn’t much profit.
With Golden Ape Village currently at its peak, which greenwood group would dare offend them easily?
Wang Tiangong, Lin Xiao?
They had some strength, but no reason to do this.
“Elder Li, take this, better safe than sorry.”
Su Yan took out a bottle of rejuvenation pills, containing two pills.
Li Chuan was slightly stunned but didn’t refuse: “Good. Be careful at the martial arts school. With chaos stirring among the families in the desolate mountains, it’s inevitable to affect the city.”
Li Chuan left in haste; Su Yan pondered his words.
In just a short month, not only had all families resumed activities, but the situation had also grown chaotic.
‘Perhaps someone is stirring things up behind the scenes; after all, the more chaos, the easier to climb up.’
——
Outside Yun Qian Village in the outer mountain clusters, under dense forest, a group of seven gradually approached, hiding in shrubs and weeds.
They were all dressed in tight black clothes, wearing black iron masks that completely covered their faces, with only two holes at the eye positions.
Black clothes form-fitting, swords at their waists, the seven crouched in the shrubs, gazes like eagles and falcons, ice-cold and deathly still.
“Yun Qian Village is his old home, no relatives, just a nominal second uncle who treats him decently. Employer’s task: set a fire, kill them all clean, lure him here.”
Among the seven, one spoke in an ice-cold voice, looking at the small mountain village ahead like a pile of corpses.
“Yun Qian Village is twenty or thirty li from Yun Cang Town; he might not arrive in time. Need to send word to draw him over.”
The third person’s eyes were deathly still, filling in the plan for the group.
“Send an outsider to deliver the message; we’ll move slower here.”
The leader’s gaze turned to the sky, coldly saying: “Move when the moon is overhead.”
The seven made their plan and dispersed; one headed toward Yun Cang Town, not to personally deliver the message, but to monitor the entire event.
Time passed bit by bit; after sunset, the last ray of light vanished at the mountain waist in the distance.
Darkness fell quickly, strange insect chirps and bird calls rising in the forest.
The six remained motionless, like tree stumps stuck in the shrubs, coldly fixating on Yun Qian Village.
“241 households, no more than 700 people.”
Yun Qian Village was neither big nor small, with a fair number of people, but in these death sword slaves’ mouths, it was just a corpse.
Night grew icy cold, tree shadows swaying like ghosts.
A huge moon hung like a jade plate in the sky, clearly midnight.
The leading death sword slave’s hoarse, ice-cold voice rang out: “Move. Xie Yuzhu’s family first, pierce and hang them on trees.”
The six moved like ghosts, quickly heading toward Yun Qian Village.
Their figures were extremely fast, rustling the shrubs.
Suddenly, a buzzing sound rang out.
Swoosh
From the shrubs, a thumb-sized red figure shot toward the last death sword slave.
Slash
The death sword slave reacted extremely quickly, slashing it in half with one sword.
Looking closely, they saw it was a large red hornet fallen to the ground.
They immediately sensed something wrong.
They quickly scanned the surroundings; one after another, blood bees surged from shrubs and branches, instantly surrounding them.
“Break out.”
The ice-cold order came; the three leading death sword slaves swung their swords first.
Sword light wove into a net, killing approaching blood bees one by one.
The remaining three were slightly slower, but their sword lights were not slow at all, slashing down hundreds of blood bees in an instant.
The six held their steps, sword light scattering in the shrubs.
They attacked continuously, finally downing over a thousand blood bees after sustaining a few injuries, the ground covered in blood bee corpses.
“Something’s wrong; these blood bees aren’t natural insects.”
The leading death sword slave immediately realized the issue: they hadn’t provoked the bee king or disturbed the hive, so such fearless sudden encirclement was impossible.
“Continue the assault on Yun Qian Village.”
If ordinary people, they would have fled, but they merely had deathly still eyes, paused briefly in silence, then swiftly continued toward Yun Qian Village.
Suddenly, their figures halted; under the night, a tall figure stood on a tree branch.
Moonlight fell, the cloud-patterned black robe stood out more starkly; looking closer, it was clearly Su Yan.
Su Yan?!
The six were startled, then the three leaders instantly erupted, icy black dog phantoms emerging behind them, nearly fusing with their bodies.
Three sword lights sealed Su Yan’s three escape routes, poised to kill him with half-step true intent power.
Su Yan’s eyes calm, he slashed with the Scorpion Profound Spear in hand.
True essence followed the slash like the moon, clanging resonantly, snapping all three long swords.
Pfft
He thrust smoothly, true essence condensing on the spear tip like a tiger head, instantly piercing the leader’s body.
A huge blood hole through the heart; by now, it was thoroughly dead, massive blood gushing out.
“Run!”
The remaining two scattered in different directions, along with the three who hadn’t attacked in time, all fleeing in one direction at wolf-like speeds in the forest.
Su Yan chased with spear in hand, speed unhurried, like a hunter.
He trailed at the rear; with one spear strike, he took the life of the slowest runner.
In the forest, tree shadows constantly left behind; Su Yan pursued relentlessly.
The five fleeing ran for their lives one after another, no time to help each other.
One by one, struck down by Su Yan.
The chase went farther and farther, suddenly reaching the boundary of Falling Head Mountain.
As soon as Su Yan stepped in, a heaven-shaking blade qi came with hatred.
“Little brat Su Yan, give me your life!”
