Chapter 86: Wipe Them Out Completely

With the system's infusion and Ning Xiu's original foundation in the Golden Bell Shield, his cultivation soared straight to the fifth level as soon as he began. He tried slicing his arm with various blades and found that ordinary weapons couldn't break through his defense at all. Even when using the Sword of Remembrance without channeling inner force, it could only cut through his skin, leaving the muscle beneath unharmed. Moreover, the wound would quickly heal on its own.

The internal injuries he suffered during the battle with the Faceless Evil Spirit healed swiftly after he consumed the Blood Bodhi. Not only that, his power increased significantly, and Ning Xiu finally stepped into the Grandmaster realm. Though still at the initial stage of this realm, his combat strength now far surpassed that of ordinary grandmasters. Ning Xiu was confident that if he faced Wang Ce again, he could easily overwhelm him with raw power, without the struggle he endured before.

Of the other three techniques, with the dual support of the system and the Nine Yang Divine Skill, Ning Xiu fully mastered both the Huashan Sword Technique and the Gale Blade Technique in the span of a single cup of tea. Though he was still a hair's breadth away from complete mastery, it fully met his current needs. The Huashan Sword Technique was known for its unpredictability and danger, while the Gale Blade Technique emphasized speed. Ning Xiu realized he was advancing ever further along the path of the strange, the unpredictable, and the swift.

This time, in his ten consecutive draws, besides the Golden Bell Shield, he unexpectedly obtained a three-star technique—a possibility he hadn’t even considered. The Seven Severance, Seven Desolations Heartbreak Palm!

Since the deaths of Liu Lang Qiduan and Madam Hu Qijue, this technique had vanished from the martial world, with only one exception: Li Huai.

The Seven Severances: severing the heart’s pulse, the bloodline, the tendons, the liver and intestines, the kidney’s flow, the bones, and the wrist’s pulse.

The Seven Desolations: severing the heart, emotions, kindness, desires, pain, life and death, and longing.

These seven severances and seven desolations wounded not only the body but also the heart.

After Li Huai, the technique was lost forever, for few wished to practice such a ruthless and loveless art, nor did anyone want to pass it on.

Coincidentally, the Holy Spirit Sword Technique was also a ruthless and emotionless sword art—what an unexpected twist of fate. Ning Xiu laughed at himself.

Because it was a three-star technique, mastering it was not easy. It took Ning Xiu several days to reach a minor accomplishment, but it still brought a significant boost to his combat ability.

What surprised him most, however, was the throwing knife once used by Li Xunhuan, which he had initially dismissed as scrap metal.

The throwing knife, straddling the line between hidden weapon and blade, was three inches and seven tenths in length, forged from fine steel by a master smith from Daye over the course of three hours. Yet, upon examining it, Ning Xiu discovered a unique structure unlike any ordinary knife.

Aside from Lin Shiyin’s wooden carving, Ning Xiu realized he might be able to deduce the technique of “Little Li’s Flying Dagger” from the construction of this blade.

After days of careful study, he began to see the outlines of its method.

Setting the throwing knife down, Ning Xiu gazed out the window. The sky above the Jing River was still shrouded in thick fog, and for some reason, an uneasy feeling gnawed at his heart.

It was all too abnormal. The disciples of the Great River Gang aboard the ship had sensed it as well, and fear was spreading among them. Only Zhang Long remained unperturbed, eating and sleeping as usual, and coming to Ning Xiu for martial arts guidance whenever he had a spare moment.

Ning Xiu offered his advice freely.

“Senior! Senior!” As the saying goes, speak of the devil and he appears—Zhang Long hurriedly ran in from outside the cabin, and Ning Xiu’s lips curled in a slight smile as he said, “Out with it, what’s the rush?”

“The fog... the fog is starting to dissipate!” Zhang Long announced.

“That’s good news.” Ning Xiu turned to look, and indeed, the fog outside the window was beginning to thin.

“No... it’s not. You’d better come out and see for yourself.”

Sensing that something was amiss, Ning Xiu immediately got up and strode out of the cabin. In the blink of an eye, he was on the deck, and with a leap, he soared up to the ship’s sail.

The fog above had mostly dispersed. Gripping the sail with one hand, Ning Xiu looked into the distance, and his expression froze in an instant.

Laborers and porters bustled to and fro, shipworkers hurried about, and merchants prepared anxiously to set out to sea. Ning Xiu saw a harbor not far ahead—at last, they were about to dock.

But the harbor was not in Xiangyang Prefecture. The great ship had drifted in circles on the Jing River for over ten days, only to return to Lingnan.

The mighty vessel pressed forward, breaking free of the white mist.

On deck, the Great River Gang’s members finally saw the scene before them, and their faces turned ashen.

Was this truly a case of leaving no one alive?

Ning Xiu muttered under his breath, his face darkening ominously.

...

Faced with such a situation, the Great River Gang’s disciples began to panic in earnest.

They tried to reassure themselves that it was only a coincidence and chose to set sail once more. Ning Xiu and Zhang Long did not join them, stepping once again onto the soil of Lingnan.

Ning Xiu knew full well that, at this moment, running was pointless.

He had originally planned to introduce Zhang Long to the Bamboo Grove Society, but now, that would only endanger him. After disembarking, Ning Xiu parted ways with him immediately.

He took out a human-skin mask and put it on, then quietly returned to Lingnan’s county seat.

The city was peaceful and harmonious; its ordinary citizens remained blissfully unaware of the turbulent undercurrents hidden beneath this calm.

After some discreet inquiries, Ning Xiu learned that the leader of the Great River Gang, Wang Ce, had died suddenly just a few days prior!

Thus, only the “Cold Blade” from the Qing Shuang Sect remained of Lingnan’s four grandmasters.

Was the Jia family finally doomed to defeat?

Ning Xiu murmured softly.

Still, complete collapse would take some time, or perhaps the Shadow Alliance had so depleted itself after toppling the Jia family that it could not spare the manpower to strike further. Otherwise, there was no explaining why the Bamboo Grove Society and the Qing Shuang Sect had yet to be purged.

The targeting of Wang Ce was likely linked to his recent actions.

Their actions were also a warning—a warning to all who dared to flee Lingnan.

This left Ning Xiu with an uncomfortable feeling. The worst part was that he couldn’t get any reliable information and had no idea how strong the Shadow Alliance truly was.

After Wang Ce’s death, the members of the four great sects mourned as if their own kin had perished.

Although Wang Ce’s operation had been secretive, it could not escape the notice of the keen-eyed.

Bamboo Grove Society Headquarters, Thousand Bamboo Pavilion.

Wei Junkun glanced at the leader’s throne behind him, tipped back his head, and took a swig of fiery liquor. Whether the wine was too strong or he’d drunk too quickly, he began to cough violently, despite a lifetime of drinking.

So many schemes, so much cleverness—yet in the end, it all comes to nothing.

Wei Junkun suddenly felt like laughing, and as he laughed, his eyes turned red.

Qing Shuang Sect, Broken Blade Hall.

Night had deepened. In the silent room, Gongsun Duan knelt alone.

Before him lay a blade, glittering with icy light.

...