Danger!
After knocking Tie Heng back with a single strike, Dugu Ming had no time to celebrate before he felt an Invisible Force emerge from behind him.
However, having repeatedly stimulated his Qi Blood, he was left drained and weak. Even though he sensed it, it was too late to dodge.
"AARGH!"
Letting out a furious roar, he twisted around and blocked with all his might.
In the next instant.
A terrifying power surged up his arms, shattering his defense as if it were deadwood and sending him flying.
The force was so immense that for a moment, he thought he had encountered a Grandmaster Gui Cang.
THUD!
Zhu Ju stomped on the ground, sending mud splashing, and attacked again.
Kick a man while he's down!
"SWOOSH!"
As his twin palms descended, Dugu Ming's body below him was like a slippery loach, effortlessly evading most of the Palm Force.
But after successive bursts of Qi Blood and the heavy blow from the surprise attack, his movements had become sluggish.
Close-quarters combat!
Killing intent lurked within every inch.
'Damn it!'
Dugu Ming was a battle-hardened veteran. He instantly understood his predicament and let out a low roar, charging toward Zhu Ju instead of retreating.
'If I can't dodge and can't block, then let's fight to the death.'
'There's no way he won't back down!'
Facing Dugu Ming's suicidal attack, Zhu Ju's expression remained unchanged. The corners of his mouth even curled up slightly.
"PFFT!"
"CRACK!"
Zhu Ju staggered back a few steps, while Dugu Ming was sent flying backward, his chest and abdomen caved in.
Zhu Ju's palms had landed squarely on Dugu Ming's body, and Dugu Ming's Claw Force had also struck him over the heart.
"PFFT!"
Dugu Ming spat out a mouthful of blood, his face a mask of disbelief.
"This is impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible." Zhu Ju shrugged and patted his chest. Beneath his torn clothes was a suit of Golden Silk Armor.
Without this Golden Silk Armor, even with his advanced External Training from the Thirteen Body Refinement, he wouldn't have dared to take that Claw Skill head-on.
Unfortunately, there are no 'what ifs' in this world.
But even with the Golden Silk Armor and his Hard Skill for protection, Zhu Ju still felt a dull ache in his chest and found it difficult to move for the moment. It was a testament to the power of his opponent's Claw Skill.
Just then.
"WHOOSH!"
A figure shot out from the darkness, scooped up Dugu Ming, and vanished back into the shadows in a few quick leaps.
Judging by their speed, they were at least close to the Body Tempering Realm. They were also extremely familiar with the terrain, making pursuit impossible.
'Hmm?'
Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow at the sight, then smiled nonchalantly.
'My two palms landed squarely on him. Even a Grandmaster Gui Cang would be severely injured, if not killed.'
'Besides, I clearly felt my Palm Force penetrate his internal organs. Dugu Ming's Vital Organs have probably been reduced to a pulp by now. Not even an Immortal could save him from that.'
'If he really manages to survive… No, impossible!'
Zhu Ju shook his head lightly and turned to Tie Heng.
"Chief Tie, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Tie Heng had only been winded and had already recovered about seventy to eighty percent after a short rest. His gaze was filled with surprise.
"Young Master Zhu, to have such cultivation at your age is incredible. With time, you'll surely become a Grandmaster. I am truly impressed!"
His gaze then shifted, and he said,
"Isn't this young lady one of the Twin Beauties of the Qin Family?"
"The Twin Beauties of the Qin Family?"
Zhu Ju stepped forward to help the woman up, discreetly taking hold of her wrist to check her pulse.
It was partly to check her injuries, and partly to guard against a sneak attack.
"The Qin Family of West Ridge was once prosperous," Tie Heng sighed.
"Now, only two young women are left to make their way in the Martial World. From what she said, it seems she's the only one left now."
After some acupressure to stimulate her blood flow, the woman let out a soft moan and woke from her unconscious state.
"Sister..."
"You villain!"
The woman's eyes flew open. She instinctively tensed up and reached for the sword beside her, causing both men to retreat.
"Miss Lingwei."
Tie Heng held his hands out to show he meant no harm, but his eyes remained wary.
"It's me. Don't be alarmed. Dugu Ming was severely wounded by this Young Master Zhu. His fate is sealed."
"You..." Qin Lingwei slowly came to her senses. "Chief Tie?"
"Yes, it's me."
"Young Master Zhu." Her gaze fell upon Zhu Ju, her beautiful eyes trembling as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Thank you!"
"My sister was deceived by that villain and met a tragic end. Thank you for avenging her!"
"It is the duty of people like us to help those in need. You're too kind, Miss Qin." Zhu Ju waved his hand, keeping his distance from the unfamiliar woman, and advised, "You're injured. You shouldn't get too emotional."
"Miss Qin." Tie Heng took a step forward. "Do you know where the Red Blood Sect's stronghold is located?"
"...I do." Qin Lingwei nodded. She struggled to her feet, using her sword as a crutch as she started walking.
"My sister and I met... Dugu Ming not long ago. She thought she had found true love, but who could have known..."
"*Sob...*"
The memory of the past few days brought a wave of grief, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
"SCREECH!"
"RUMBLE..."
A great fire suddenly erupted in the street ahead, followed immediately by a lifelike water dragon that shot out from within it.
The water dragon coiled in the air, extinguishing the flames before crashing into a dark figure.
"Five Elements Fist!"
Elder Ghost roared furiously.
"A fine 'Flower Fist' you are, Fu Huanlian!"
'Five Elements Fist?'
Zhu Ju looked surprised and couldn't help but ask,
"Chief Tie, can Grandmaster Fu's Five Elements Fist control fire and water?"
The scene just now was truly shocking. Not even an expert capable of Inner Qi Release could do that.
'A coiling water dragon!'
'Aren't these the methods of the Immortal Family?'
However, the water seemed to be ordinary water. It looked terrifying, but in reality, it could only extinguish Mortal Fire, a far cry from the legendary methods of an Innate Qi Refiner.
And the fire that other night was the same; it merely took advantage of the flames from torches and didn't have much destructive power.
But even so, it was still extraordinary.
Still, such methods were very similar to those of an Innate Qi Refiner, which gave Zhu Ju food for thought.
Ye Chongshan had once said that Internal Cultivation Methods varied in quality and power, with Methods that led directly to the Innate realm being the strongest.
Such Cultivation Techniques could conjure ice and ignite flames, possessing many wondrous abilities, much like this Five Elements Fist. He just didn't know what the difference was between the top-tier Qi Blood Martial Arts and Internal Cultivation Methods in this world.
"That's right!"
Tie Heng nodded, his voice filled with emotion.
"The Five Elements Fist is a Fist Technique created by the Unparalleled Grandmaster Fu Xuan. It can manipulate the Power of the Five Elements, allowing one to do the impossible."
"An Unparalleled Grandmaster who appears once in a millennium..."
"In all the world, when it comes to Fist Techniques, the Five Elements Fist can be called the most profound."
'Unparalleled Grandmaster?'
'Five Elements Fist!'
Zhu Ju was lost in thought, an inexplicable yearning for a top-tier Qi Blood legacy growing in his heart.
"We're here."
Qin Lingwei stopped before a courtyard deep within the Ghost Market. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she said with a sob,
"Sirs, this place is rather strange. I only learned of it by chance and have never explored it deeply."
"Thank you for your trouble." Tie Heng cupped his fist, then swung his saber and slashed.
"BAM!"
The courtyard gate shattered, revealing a deathly silent interior.
'Hmm?'
Frowning, Tie Heng glanced at Zhu Ju, signaling for him to wait there, before darting inside in a flash.
「A short while later.」
"You two can come in."
Tie Heng's voice came from inside the courtyard.
"It's not dangerous in here."
*
*
*
The clamor in the Seven Workshops of Flower Street was far from over, and the Ghost Market had descended into chaos, but this place remained relatively quiet.
「In the dead of night.」
In the backyard, the straw shed used to cover goods had been torn away by Tie Heng, revealing a bizarre pattern on the ground.
The pattern covered an area of about an acre, composed of countless complex lines that spread across the entire backyard. Some unknown liquid flowed within it, and a pungent smell filled the courtyard.
'A Daoist Family's Inverted Tai Chi Diagram?'
'No!'
Zhu Ju gently shook his head.
'It looks similar, but it's not the same.'
The pattern at his feet lacked the transcendent, worldly detachment of the Daoist Family's art. Instead, it exuded a strange, unsettling aura.
Just a few glances were enough to make one's scalp tingle and feel unwell, creating an urge to flee the place as quickly as possible.
"The Blood-Stealing Curse?" At their side, Qin Lingwei covered her mouth with both hands, her face full of shock as she spoke with a trembling body.
"The legends are true?"
"What Blood-Stealing Curse?" Zhu Ju turned his head.
"You've never heard of it, Young Master Zhu?" Tie Heng looked at him in surprise, then explained,
"The Red Blood Sect has three great Divine Skills: the Red Blood Divine Gang, the Red Blood Divine Claw, and their Basic Method, the Blood God Skill."
"Besides those..."
His voice paused for a moment before he continued in a low tone,
"There is also an unbelievable Secret Technique, the Blood-Stealing Curse, which can seize another person's Qi Blood and Talent."
"It is a selfish method that uses human blood as a sacrifice and relies on auspicious timing to benefit oneself at the expense of others."
"It is said that because of this Secret Technique, every generation of the Red Blood Sect's Sect Leader has been one of the most powerful experts of their time, without exception."
'Stealing Qi Blood?'
'And even Talent?'
"How is that possible?" Zhu Ju shook his head repeatedly.
"Indeed." Tie Heng sighed deeply. "How could it be possible? I also thought it was just a baseless rumor, but now it seems that's not the case."
"Wait!" Qin Lingwei suddenly exclaimed.
"If... if the legend is true, then... then the liquid in here is..."
"That's right!" Tie Heng's expression was grim.
"It's human blood!"
'Human blood?'
Zhu Ju was horrified.
'Such a complex pattern, covering such a vast area... If it's all made with human blood, it must have taken more than a hundred people.'
'No wonder...'
'No wonder the smell was so familiar!'
They had smelled the stench of blood the moment they entered, but no one had allowed themselves—or dared—to consider what it was.
"The Red Blood Sect!"
Tie Heng growled through clenched teeth.
"A pack of animals!"
"Chief Tie." Zhu Ju's eyes flickered. "Whether the Blood-Stealing Curse is real or not, the Red Blood Sect set it up here to steal someone's Qi Blood. Where is that person?"
'Hm?'
Tie Heng looked up and immediately rushed toward the low buildings on either side.
"Found him!"
"It's Grandmaster Gui Cang, Hero Ye Liuyun! He must have been drugged."
'A Grandmaster Gui Cang?'
Zhu Ju froze at the words.
...
「The Cloth Guild.」
Zhu Ju stood with his hands behind his back at a second-floor window, gazing into the distance toward Flower Street.
Tonight, the people from the Cloth Guild had only assisted the Government Office in taking down Flower Street. They were not involved in the aftermath, so they had returned early.
'Five Elements Fist!'
'Blood-Stealing Curse!'
'The Martial Arts of this world are not as simple as they seem.'
Tonight's events had been a real eye-opener. Regardless of whether the Blood-Stealing Curse was real, the Five Elements Fist was certainly formidable.
'An Unparalleled Grandmaster!'
Zhu Ju's eyes glinted. After returning, he had made some inquiries and learned a little about the Fu Family.
Over a hundred years ago, the Fu Family was still unknown, until a young man named Fu Xuan appeared.
This man had an extraordinary talent for Martial Arts. He entered the Body Tempering Realm before he was twenty, became a Grandmaster Gui Cang at twenty-six, and was Breaking Limit at thirty, reaching the pinnacle of his generation.
He then traveled the world and created the Five Elements Boxing Technique at the age of forty-seven, advancing his strength even further. No one in the world was his match.
He was known as an Unparalleled Grandmaster!
While he was alive, even the Red Blood Sect's Sect Leader and the Buddhist Saint Monks were overshadowed by his brilliance.
Unfortunately.
Fu Xuan attempted to break through to the legendary Celestial Human Realm, but ultimately perished on Mang Mountain.
At that time, many factions coveted the Fu Family's Five Elements Fist. To preserve their family, Fu Xuan's descendants sought refuge with the Court. His life story wasn't complicated, but it was steeped in blood and violence.
"A legend of his time!"
Zhu Ju sighed softly.
"It's a pity. The Five Elements Fist is never taught to anyone outside the Fu Family's direct lineage and the disciples of the Royal Family. Otherwise, I would have to see it for myself."
"Young Master Zhu," Yann Xiuxin's voice called from downstairs.
"Someone from the Government Office has delivered an invitation."