Chapter 392: Chapter 292: Battle with the Greatest Expert of All Time Chapter 392: Chapter 292: Battle with the Greatest Expert of All Time On a small mountain in Beihuang Dao,
the clouds and mists entwined around a few ancient wooden homes, creating a scene that was fresh, natural, and as picturesque as a poem.

Honghu circled above the mountain peak, lying motionless atop it like a piece of wood, while the Black Flood Dragon was lively, sometimes flying into the distance and sometimes running over to Honghu, curiously watching the large bird with eyes as big as lanterns.

Although both were puppets refined through the Living Puppet Technique, Black Flood Dragon and Honghu were different as heaven and earth. Back in Dragon Hidden Creek, Black Flood Dragon had developed its own consciousness, while Honghu remained just a puppet, requiring someone to control it.

It seemed that Black Flood Dragon was having a lot of fun; with a leap and a low roar, it darted off into the distance.

In the middle of the mountain, amidst a dense forest,
An Jing was sitting cross-legged, holding the Mudust Bead he had received from Zongzheng Huachun. At that moment, there was still a strand of pale golden light flowing on the Mudust Bead, inside which one could see that this strand of pale golden light was filled with dark glows that seemed to have gained the upper hand and could burst forth at any moment.

Zhao Qingmei looked at the Mudust Bead in An Jing’s hand and said, “This must be a strand of thought from the Earth Vein Spirit, right?”

“Yes.”

An Jing nodded. “Zongzheng Huachun has not completely refined this strand of thought from the Earth Vein Spirit. It seems that refining the Earth Vein Spirit is difficult, even just a strand of thought.”

Zhao Qingmei chuckled lightly, “If it were that easy to refine, the Great Qin Emperor and Great Zhou Emperor from past generations would have refined it long ago.”

The Earth Vein Spirit had always been controlled by the emperors of various dynasties, all of whom were martial arts prodigies, but they had never been able to fully master the Earth Vein Spirit.

An Jing pointed with his finger, gathering True Qi into several fine threads. Any normal Grandmaster who saw this would be amazed at how precisely someone could control True Qi.

These True Qi threads wrapped around the strand of thought from the Earth Vein Spirit. An Jing tried to pull it out to explore it, but the Earth Vein Spirit seemed very resistant to it.

“Can I really not cut you down?”

An Jing’s eyes lifted, and those pulling threads suddenly transformed into strands of chilling Sword Qi, rushing towards the strand of thought from the Earth Vein Spirit.

But when this Sword Qi struck the strand of thought from the Earth Vein Spirit, it was as if they struck nothingness, causing no disturbance at all.

An Jing frowned slightly and said, “As expected, severing the Earth Vein Spirit is not that simple.”

“Certainly, severing the Earth Vein Spirit is naturally even harder.”

Zhao Qingmei took the Mudust Bead and examined it, saying, “And from what I see, this is a complete entity. To either refine or sever it, one must go to the Dragon Locking Well to obtain the complete Earth Vein Spirit.”

A strand of thought from the Earth Vein Spirit can increase strength, allowing Zongzheng Huachun to deepen his enlightenment of Heavenly Human Communication, or perhaps use the power of the Mudust Bead to break through to the Grandmaster Realm.

But to glimpse the Path of Immortality from it and discover the secrets of breaking through the Grandmaster Realm’s limitations is nearly impossible.

An Jing took a deep breath and said seriously, “It seems I need to reach the Grandmaster Realm soon.”

Zhao Qingmei exhaled and said, “But breaking through this realm is truly difficult, even though the constraints between heaven and earth are getting smaller.”

Breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm was exceedingly difficult, even for someone of her extraordinary talent like hers, who could feel the great challenge in overcoming the Grandmaster Realm’s limitations.

If she had enough time, breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm wouldn’t be difficult, but with the crisis at Dragon Locking Well imminent, how much time did she have left?

An Jing was in the same situation; he had just broken through to the Five Qi Realm and absorbed a strand of Heaven and Earth Spirit Essence from Zongzheng Huachun, but he was still some distance from the Grandmaster Realm.

Thus, both of their strengths had reached a bottleneck, making further progress in the short term nearly impossible.

An Jing spoke gravely, “Dragon Locking Well will surely gather many experts and Grandmasters from across the land.”

Zhao Qingmei nodded and said, “Qian Qiu, Wang Yangsheng, Xi Hafu, and Xu Wang, already four in total. Among them, Qian Qiu and Xu Wang are the most mysterious.”

“Xu Wang…”

An Jing looked into the distance and said, “I think I know his origins.”

Zhao Qingmei blinked and asked, “You know?”

An Jing, recalling various interactions with Xu Wang, said, “His body contains a dense Corpse Qi, and he cannot leave Xu Wang’s Corpse Cave on Mount Xu. Most importantly, he is not bound by life span.”

“If my guess is right, he must be a Corpse Chasing puppet crafted through Southern Barbarian secret techniques.”

Upon hearing An Jing’s conjecture, Zhao Qingmei voiced her astonishment, “A Corpse Chasing puppet! Who crafted it?”

A Grandmaster Realm expert being a Corpse Chasing puppet crafted with Southern Barbarian secret techniques?

Who possesses such grand capabilities?

An Jing shook his head, “I do not know, but he indeed is a Corpse Chasing puppet. I speculate he is like the Black Flood Dragon, having developed his own consciousness.”

The first time An Jing met Xu Wang, he had great strength but remembered nothing, resembling the Black Flood Dragon in every aspect.

An Jing took a deep breath and said, “That’s why it’s imperative to reach the Grandmaster Realm before the major upheaval at Dragon Locking Well to ensure nothing goes wrong.”

Although he had killed Zongzheng Huachun, he was clear in his heart that only by reaching the Grandmaster Realm could he ensure the trip to Dragon Locking Well was foolproof.

Zhao Qingmei thought of something and said, “Xi Hafu appearing this time does not seem so simple.”

An Jing blinked and said, “I really do not know.”

Zhao Qingmei gave An Jing a stern look and said gravely, “Of course, I know you are unaware, but I was thinking, if the Yong’an Emperor dispatched Xi Hafu to assassinate you, then it would be dangerous, even if you possess the Jade Seal.”

Upon hearing this, An Jing nodded. If Xi Hafu were to suddenly strike, it indeed would pose a huge problem; even if An Jing was strong, he could not possibly face three Grandmasters at the same time.

Zhao Qingmei could not help but say, “The Yong’an Emperor is no simple character, to manipulate a grandmaster like Xi Hafu so effortlessly in his hands. Now that they still need the Demon Sect, once the world settles down, she will be the first to act against the Demon Sect.”

An Jing pondered for a long while and said, “It might have already begun.”

Zhao Qingmei looked at An Jing and asked, “Are you talking about Lv Guoyong?”

The greatest reform pushed by Zhou Xianming was establishing the Martial Arts Academy, a highly confidential matter targeting not only the Demon Sect but also the major Sects across the land, bound to cause a huge uproar once announced.

Behind Zhou Xianming were the Yong’an Emperor and equally, Lv Guoyong.

An Jing had conversed many times with Lv Guoyong, and the two of them had some friendship. At their level and status, they could not simply be defined as good or bad.

Founding the Martial Arts Academy, at present, indeed seemed like a wise decision, gathering all martial arts under one roof, offering people across the land an accelerated path to learning martial arts.

However, doing so would mean the disappearance of all major Sects.

Those within these Sects would have to join the Martial Arts Academy, effectively wearing an official robe.”

Those who mingled in Jianghu were mostly unrestrained, drinking today and killing tomorrow. Now, to be regulated and constrained, how could they be willing?

An Jing’s brows furrowed tightly. If he persisted in clinging to the power of the Demon Sect, he would inevitably have to go against Lv Guoyong and clash directly.

But was holding on to the Demon Sect really the right thing to do?

Sometimes, even An Jing himself didn’t know what the right course of action was.

“Husband.”

Zhao Qingmei gently held An Jing’s hand.

She still remembered the times in Yu State City when An Jing was just a common doctor at Jishi Hall. Life was peaceful and devoid of the immense pressures he faced now.

Although An Jing was extremely cautious and careful, on reflection, their journey had always been on a knife’s edge.

Was this really what he wanted?

Zhao Qingmei reflected on the hardships along the way, constantly recalling the life in Yu State City. Back then, life was unremarkable and smooth, simple meals day by day, yet filled with happiness.

“A single laugh blends the flavors of life, asking not whether it’s east or west, as years gently pass by again each spring, just find the initial heart.”

At this moment, Zhao Qingmei made up her mind.

An Jing looked at Zhao Qingmei and said, “Wife, what’s wrong?”

Zhao Qingmei looked into his bright eyes, “Brother, after this matter is over, let’s return to Yu State City.”

An Jing chuckled and said, “Alright, once we’ve dealt with all these troubles, we’ll leave this Jianghu.”

Zhao Qingmei looked at the smile on An Jing’s lips and asked, “Are you very happy?”

“Of course, every day spent with you is a joyful day.”

“Brother, me too.”

“…..”

Zhao Qingmei leaned on An Jing’s shoulder, and at this moment, many faces flashed through her mind: Jiang Renyi, Jiang Shang, Yuan Feng, Nangong Weiping, Jun Qinglin, these deceased masters.

The vicissitudes of these years seemed as if from another lifetime.

It made one’s heart lament, life flows like a tide, people are like water, only to sigh who returns from the Jianghu.

How many bones were buried above this Jianghu, the temptations of power are inexhaustible, and people are endless to kill.

The knife and sword shadows dimmed, and the grudges of Jianghu faded away.

An Jing held Zhao Qingmei’s hand, gazing into the far distance.

“Roar-!”

Suddenly, a violent roaring sound came from afar, followed by a sorrowful cry of a dragon echoing all around.

“Not good!”

An Jing, frowning, said, “That’s the sound of the Black Flood Dragon, there seems to be a master.”

The Black Flood Dragon, being a master of the Three Qi, would usually cause ordinary people to flee at its sight. A master capable of making the Black Flood Dragon scream so miserably must be an exceptional expert.

Zhao Qingmei also furrowed her brows, “Let’s go and see!”

As they were about to move forward to check, they saw a Black Flood Dragon collide against the mountain body in front of them. At the moment of impact, rocks shattered and an ancient house resembling a paradise vanished instantly, echoes of deafening sounds surged, followed by columns of smoke rising high.

The Black Flood Dragon writhed in the ruins of the mountain, convulsing, and blood flowed from its back, staining the earth red, while sorrowful wails emanated from its mouth.

Clearly, its dragon sinew had been extracted.

“Who could it be!?”

A flicker of anger passed through Zhao Qingmei’s eyes as she shouted.

Having its dragon sinew extracted was virtually a death sentence for the Black Flood Dragon. Just who would be so cruel as to do such a thing?

Moreover, it was well-known that the Black Flood Dragon was An Jing’s mount. Who then dared to do this?

An Jing’s gaze was icy cold as he waved his sleeve, and the dust and smoke dispersed in an instant.

With the dust cleared, a solitary figure appeared atop the ruins. He stood, his foot atop the head of the Black Flood Dragon, an ancient longblade in his hand reflecting a chilling light under the sun.

This was a white-haired old man standing straight as a sword, his eyes sharp and piercing.

An Jing not only recognized this person but was also very familiar with him; he had clashed with the old man back on Blue Sky Island.

This person was none other than Qi Xuan Dao, the Sword God of Zhao Country.

An Jing’s eyes flashed a cold light, “Qi Xuan Dao!?”

“It’s me.”

Qi Xuan Dao spoke indifferently, “Years ago you killed my sons, today I will start by killing your Black Flood Dragon as an appetizer to the heavens.”

If there was a battle that truly made An Jing famous, without a doubt, it was when he killed Qi Shu amidst thousands of troops in Houjin, shocking and astonishing everyone at the time.

Later, at the Black Ice Platform, Qi Xuan Dao, in an attempt to avenge his ‘adopted son’, personally went to Blue Sky Island to kill An Jing. Unfortunately, he did not succeed and fell into Ye Ding’s trap instead. Not only did he fail to kill An Jing, but he also suffered heavy losses himself.

After Qi Xuan Dao left Blue Sky Island, he also appeared near the Dragon Locking Well in Yujing City, where he was beaten black and blue by Lv Guoyong, narrowly escaping death. Qin Shan even died while covering for Qi Xuan Dao in Yujing City.

It can be said that Qi Wushuang of Zhao Country had faced adversity and his reputation had dwindled over the recent years. The forces opposed to the Black Ice Platform, however, continued to gain in prestige.

Although Zhao Country had continuously triumphed in the wars against Yan Country, they had not been able to make significant progress, which was largely related to this as well.

An Jing coldly said, “You really have a big appetite, you might choke to death.”

Qi Xuan Dao responded, “Let’s see if your sword is enough to choke me to death.”

An Jing, looking at the Qi Xuan Dao in front of him, thought that even if news traveled slowly, this place wasn’t far from Ba Mountain, so Qi Xuan Dao should have heard about his killing Zongzheng Huachun. Why then would Qi Xuan Dao still dare to seek him out?

Had Qi Xuan Dao also broken through to the Grandmaster Realm, or did he have some other means?

Zhao Qingmei, realizing something, questioned uncertainly, “Husband, I suspect that person has arrived.”

An immortal being!?

An Jing suddenly thought of something, his brows furrowing even deeper.

This immortal character’s deeds were too astonishing; not only had he been active in history for a thousand years, but he had also caused several incidents that influenced the course of history, including the slaying of several Great Grandmasters.

In An Jing’s heart, this immortal being was even more terrifying than a Grandmaster like Xi Hafu by threefold.

“Hahaha, little girl, we meet again.”

Following a hearty laugh, a figure appeared in the distance. Even though the figure seemed far away, he arrived in front of An Jing and Zhao Qingmei in the blink of an eye.

The man did not look as old as imagined, his smile even carried a hint of warmth, dressed in white with white hair, emanating a kind and gentle aura.

However, those who knew his identity would not feel his kindness and gentleness, rather, they would find him extremely terrifying.

Because this man was the Elder of the Black Ice Platform, also named by the Great Yan Emperor and Jin Deng as the immortal being, each of his moves severed the life force of current Great Grandmasters, a peerless power.

It would not be an exaggeration to say, this man was truly the hidden hand controlling the fate of the world.

The black light emitted by the Earth Book next made An Jing’s heart tremble.

“Reminder: A dark opportunity nearby.”

A dark opportunity!?

An Jing suppressed the shock in his heart, but his hand slowly moved towards the Sword Box.

He had slain Zhong Zheng Huachun, who was a Grandmaster, yet the immortal figure before him posed a lethal danger, enough to illustrate the prominence of this immortal being.

The immortal being faintly smiled, “It seems that Grandmaster has already died.”

The Grandmaster he referred to was none other than Nangong Weiping.

An Jing looked at the immortal being, a chill flashing in his eyes, “Zhong Zheng Huachun was your disciple, wasn’t he?”

“Correct, he was my disciple.”

The immortal being took a deep breath, sighing, “In these thousand years, he was one of the disciples I was quite proud of. I didn’t expect him to die by your hand.”

An Jing said, “It seems that over these thousand years, you’ve had many proud disciples.”

The immortal being said, “Many, as many as cow hair, as many as fine rain, but now they have all turned into a handful of yellow earth.”

An Jing said, “Yes, one of the most lamentable things in this world is the white-haired people sending off the black-haired people.”

The immortal being said, “That’s why my heart has long been as cold as ice for thousands of years, without any warmth.”

An Jing’s pupils shrank drastically, realizing that this was precisely the most terrifying aspect of the immortal being before him. Having lived for a thousand years, having seen the vicissitudes of life and changes, his heart was like a true ancient well, unrippled.

The immortal being looked at An Jing, slowly saying, “You are the most talented person I have ever seen so far, it’s just a pity…”

Zhao Qingmei’s eyes lit up, her Mandarin Duck Twin Blades already in her hands.

An Jing asked, “A pity what?”

The immortal being said, “A pity that I missed such a perfect raw jade.”

An Jing shook his head, “But I don’t think it’s a pity at all.”

“Oh?”

The immortal being asked, “Why? Don’t you want to take me as your master?”

An Jing calmly said, “A mountain cannot contain two tigers, this is an eternal truth. Taking you as a master would only make me die faster.”

“Hahahaha.”

The immortal being burst into laughter upon hearing An Jing’s words, “I didn’t expect it. Truly, I didn’t expect that the person who understands me the most in these hundreds of years would be you.”

The immortal being wasn’t annoyed but instead was excited by An Jing’s words.

It was a feeling of being understood and deciphered.

This was a sensation he had never experienced in thousands of years.

An Jing narrowed his eyes at the immortal being, saying, “I want to know how you have lived till today.”

As An Jing’s words fell, Qi Xuan Dao also looked over, his heart evidently very curious about how his teacher had managed to live for over a thousand years.

Although the blood of Cheng Huang could increase one’s lifespan a bit, after several intakes, it became useless.

And Qi Xuan Dao knew better than anyone that the immortal being only relied on Cheng Huang for healing.

The immortal being said, “That is a secret, a secret that must not be told to anyone, not even those who are about to die.”

His tone was very neutral, without any fluctuations.

An Jing raised an eyebrow, “It seems you think I am certainly going to die.”

“Even if you have reached the Seventh Realm.”

The immortal being looked at An Jing, smiling, “I have seen a swordsman of the Seventh Realm before, the one who wrote the ‘Sword Dao Tao General Outline’ was personally killed by me. I remember he practiced the Heavenly Dao Sword; the wound he gave me was the deepest, and so even after a very long time, I still remember it vividly.”

What!?

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qingmei felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

The immortal being before her had even killed a swordsman of the Seventh Realm, knowing that no Seventh Realm swordsman has ever been recorded in history.

An Jing’s heart raced, his eyes narrowing into slits.

This was by far the most pressing expert he had faced.

Even when he faced Jiang Shang in Yu State City, there was a glimmer of hope for survival, but now facing this top expert, he couldn’t see anything.

The immortal being, with his hands behind his back, said, “History is merely what I wish to show to the world.”

History is merely what I wish to show to the world.

Such was his arrogant tone, but the three present felt nothing inappropriate.

An Jing drew out the Dulu Sword, “It seems that your deep arrangement is all for the Earth Vein Spirit.”

A cold gleam appeared, and Qi Xuan Dao felt his heart beating continuously, subconsciously retreating several steps backward.

Merely drawing the sword had caused him to feel a chill in his heart, involuntarily stepping back several steps–what a terrifying mastery of swordsmanship.

Just as he was about to retreat further, a scorching blade light attacked, and the Qi mechanism in front of him roared away, turning into rolling waves.

Zhao Qingmei, holding the Mandarin Duck Twin Blades, had already charged over, a hint of killing intent flickering in her eyes.

The Minghong Blade in Qi Xuan Dao’s hand brightened, and the world instantly turned ice-cold as he directly faced the attack.

Qian Qiu the Undying said, “That day it was raining, and I told myself, I must wait for this day.”

The two no longer spoke, for there was no need for further words.

Perhaps life and death would emerge in the next moment.

An Jing thrust the Dulu Sword forward, a sharp cold light surged forth.

Although it was a simple thrust, the void in front broke completely, and a black line followed the heavens towards Qian Qiu the Undying.

Fast!

This sword had pushed the skills to the limit, its sharp Qi almost lifting the scalp, sending chills down the spine.

Qian Qiu the Undying frowned, the Ghost Swordsman’s Immortal Sword was still above that of the Heavenly Dao Sword swordsman.

And this sword seemed intent on deciding the victor, aiming to kill him outright.

Because at this realm, the more ordinary and mundane the sword seemed, the denser and more shocking the killing intent within it became.

It was like the storms that often abruptly cease.

Sometimes, life is just like that.

Qian Qiu the Undying almost closed his eyes, he did not look into An Jing’s eyes, nor did he watch his sword, even though in a duel between experts, one must constantly pay attention to every subtle movement, every gaze, every expression, and meticulously observe without any slip-ups.

The sword that pierced through the void attacked abruptly, yet Qian Qiu the Undying dodged it, not even touching his robe, and the cold light surrounding the blade was all dispersed by the Force Qi around him.

This was the first sword drawn, and also one of the sharpest swords An Jing had released up to this point.

Qian Qiu the Undying dodged this sword, and robust True Yuan instantly surged from all directions, almost emptying the surroundings, and then he struck forward with a palm.

Boom!

This palm strike sent out ripples like water waves across a vast plane, emitting a thunderous sound, then like the collapse of heaven and earth, it fell towards An Jing.

Qian Qiu the Undying lived up to his reputation as a top contemporary expert, his first move was that of mountain-crushing, river-shattering force.

This display of might was even more majestic by a third than Zongzheng Huachun deploying the Ten Directions Technique.

An Jing’s expression remained unchanged, the vast Qi within him surged in layers, and finally burst forth from his wrist, then with a flick of the Dulu Sword in his hand, that robust Qi completely exploded.

The purple True Qi in the blade surged mightily, like a bright light suddenly appearing in a dark world.

This was the Nameless Path. An Jing had suddenly grasped the seventh realm and had devised this sword technique. The sword Qi was like a vast river, its roar loud as the awakening thunder, eventually forming a vast white line that approached from afar.

But upon closer contemplation, it seemed like a thunderous avalanche pouring down from a majestic snow mountain. As the tidal wave gradually neared, it resembled thousands of troops charging forward, and only at the final approach did one realize that the tide and waves stood high like city walls, possessing the force of moving mountains and overturning seas.

This was a momentum, an invincible sword momentum!

“Boom–!”

This singular sword strike directly shattered the immortal’s handprint, cleaving the entire plane below neatly in half, and the sword light continued to rush towards the sky as if to tear a huge hole in the heavens.

Both had only made a single move, yet such was the move that it could shake the heavens and startle the spirits.

This situation was even more perilous than the battle against Zongzheng Huachun.

An Jing slapped his palm, and instantly all the swords in the sword box flew out; the swords split apart into dozens, hundreds, and eventually thousands of flying swords. Instantly, sword lights filled the sky chaotically, the entire world swarmed with sharp sword Qi, blocking out the sun, dense and numerous.

It is said that at the culmination of swordsmanship, there exists a divine skill known as “All Things Become Swords,” which could turn wind, frost, rain, snow, fallen leaves, flying sand, and rolling stones into swords wielded to injure the enemy.

However, this form of swordsmanship had only appeared in legends, never truly demonstrated by anyone.

At this moment, An Jing’s swordsmanship had reached Tongxuan, thoroughly showcasing this divine skill that no one else had mastered.

Upon seeing this, the immortal’s eyes gleamed, and then the Qi mechanism within his body gradually dissipated and vanished.

Separating Heaven and Earth!

For the divine skill that the immortal was now using, An Jing was certainly familiar, as he himself knew it too; however, compared to the immortal, it was but a minor trick. There was almost a heaven and earth’s gap between them.

The immortal had completely separated himself from this domain, his aura dramatically soaring without visible end.

With a stretch of his palm, countless streams of Force Qi and True Yuan converged like rain toward the flying swords ahead.

The collision of Force Qi, True Yuan, and the flying swords erupted in the air, immediately resounding through with countless clashing sounds of metal, sword Qi crisscrossing in every direction, the vast sea of clouds all around shattered and dispersed.

Behind An Jing spread a vast expanse of starlight, the seventh realm utilized to its utter limits.

In the sky, the flying swords’ sword Qi crisscrossed, the atmosphere surged violently, suddenly causing a rain of True Yuan to fall ahead, and then those thousands of flying swords surged tumultuously towards the immortal.

The Heaven and Earth Ten Directions!

Facing this overwhelming sword Qi attack, the immortal’s expression remained as calm as water; he then swung his robe sleeve forward, and from within the sleeve surged black Force Qi. This Force Qi kept condensing, forming a gigantic ghost face.

“Roar!”

The ghost face roared furiously, and then opened its massive mouth, as if a deep, bottomless black hole had appeared, swallowing all the countless sword Qi like tired birds flying into the woods.

After swallowing the sword Qi, the ghost face showed no change, continuing to charge towards An Jing.

The ghost face was ferocious and terrifying, as if it had surged up from the Yellow Springs in the Nine Nether below, its giant maw open wide, blotting out the sun, seeking to completely devour An Jing.

In that moment, underneath the ghost face, An Jing seemed so insignificant, like a small boat tossing in a tempest.

……