CHAPTER 484: CHAPTER 408 MARTIAL ARTS DIVINE INTENT

The thunder light was still booming, and the intense bright light deeply etched into the eyes of everyone around.

When the thunder light faded, the eyes of many bandits still had large white spots.

The bandits, already malnourished, mostly suffered from night blindness. In such dim light, the strong light stimulation made some of them inevitably permanently blind.

Even if not blinded, it would take some time for everyone to recover their vision.

Only a few skilled fighters noticed something was wrong after the strong light dissipated.

Because only Gao Xuan was standing there, while Flying Tiger had already fallen to the ground, turned into a corpse with a blurred face.

Ye Jinxiu recovered the fastest. Seeing Gao Xuan safe and sound, she was so excited that tears almost fell.

Just now, Flying Tiger’s attack was too fierce, not only was the spear intent wild and overbearing, but there was also thunder skill hidden. Ye Jinxiu almost thought Gao Xuan was doomed.

Seeing Gao Xuan unharmed, she felt incredibly excited and thrilled.

Gao Xuan nodded to Ye Jinxiu, indicating he was fine. Then he swung his saber forward, cutting toward the few surviving experts.

The bandit experts realized something was amiss and turned to flee. Gao Xuan didn’t care how they ran; they weren’t faster than his blade.

The snowy saber light rolled over, leaving a ground of blood and remains. In the blink of an eye, dozens were slain by Gao Xuan.

Even though the remaining bandits couldn’t see, hearing their companions’ miserable screams, they knew things were bad. They ran around like headless flies.

Gao Xuan targeted those with strong martial arts and killed dozens, then finally sheathed his saber.

By this time, everyone in the square had fled.

Gao Xuan returned to Flying Tiger’s side, picked up the Zhongshan Spear and gave it a shake, the nine-foot long spear weighing over a hundred pounds emitted a low hum.

He praised, "It’s truly a fine spear."

Ye Jinxiu came over curiously, with the last trace of dark red twilight still there, her sharp eyes noticed an inscription on the spear.

"Zhongshan Spear, the most arrogant. When the spear is drawn, someone must die."

Ye Jinxiu read softly, surprised she said, "This is one of the Mountain Character Sect’s top ten famous spears, Zhongshan Spear!"

Among the Six Paths and Eight Sects, the Mountain Character Sect was best at using spears. The sect’s top ten famous spears were famous throughout the world.

Only a maverick like Gao Xuan wouldn’t know about the Zhongshan Spear.

After hearing Ye Jinxiu’s introduction, Gao Xuan nodded and said, "This guy must have been a Dharma Transmission of the Mountain Character Sect. His spear technique is exquisite. And he possesses profound spear intent."

Ye Jinxiu nodded, spear techniques might be learned elsewhere, but spear intent is a sect’s incommunicable secret. It’s impossible to pass to outsiders.

"An expert from the Mountain Character Sect, I wonder how he ended up like this..."

Ye Jinxiu sighed, there was definitely something wrong with this man. Otherwise, with his martial arts, he’d be welcomed as an honored guest anywhere.

"That’s the interesting part of fate."

Gao Xuan wasn’t particularly emotional about it; everyone has their own destiny. Where Flying Tiger ended up was his concern.

In fact, apart from those like him who defy heaven and are reborn, how many strong men can control their destiny?

Even someone as powerful as him, when thrust into the world of Nine-Revolutions Divine Cicada, couldn’t resist and had to accept trials.

Gao Xuan searched Flying Tiger’s body; he found nothing valuable.

Since Flying Tiger had no treasures on him, they were likely in the Zhongshan Spear. The thunder skill Flying Tiger used couldn’t have been released by himself.

Gao Xuan unscrewed the spear’s grip, and sure enough, there was a blue pearl inside, with flickering electric light.

As Gao Xuan poured the blue pearl out, his body tingled slightly at the touch.

The Thunder Pearl needed no external force to activate; its own thunder power was formidable.

Of course, it was just recently activated by Flying Tiger’s Qi Blood Power, the residual thunder power hadn’t dissipated.

Gao Xuan sensed the changes within the Thunder Pearl, indeed it was gradually dissipating and weakening.

He suddenly realized that it was no wonder Flying Tiger’s Qi Blood contained traces of Pure Yang Aura, it was refined through the Thunder Pearl.

Just this Thunder Pearl was worth a hundred times more than the Zhongshan Spear.

No matter how good the Zhongshan Spear was, it was just a weapon. Apart from being extremely hard and sharp, it had no other magical properties.

Gao Xuan thought about it some more and felt something was off, if it was just hard and sharp, it wouldn’t be worthy of being called one of the top ten famous spears.

He weighed the Zhongshan Spear in his hand, vaguely sensing a certain aura inside. Though for the moment, it was elusive.

Gao Xuan wasn’t in a hurry; with the spear in his hand and his knowledge and experience, he would figure out its mysteries.

Since he had broken the stronghold, he couldn’t return empty-handed. Moreover, with experts like Flying Tiger here, there should be some good stuff inside.

Gao Xuan, with blade and spear on his back, took Ye Jinxiu to Flying Tiger’s room.

No need for guidance, the house Flying Tiger lived in was the grandest and positioned at the center. It stood out among the low, shabby wooden houses.

Entering the room, they saw wine and meat still set on the table. In the bedroom, Gao Xuan found a scroll of the Zhongshan Spear Technique in a wooden cabinet by the bed.

The scroll was placed casually, without any concealment. Probably because Flying Tiger was confident in his martial prowess and wasn’t afraid of anyone stealing from him.

An assortment of gold bars was also scattered randomly in the wooden cabinet, looking to weigh a hundred to two hundred pounds.

Besides this, the room had nothing more of value.

Ye Jinxiu found a leather pouch, collected the gold bars, and said with a smile, "This time you’ve hit the jackpot, once we reach the capital city, you must treat me to some fine food and drink..."

Gao Xuan boldly patted his belly, "With my body, I’ll ensure you’re full and satisfied."

Ye Jinxiu was momentarily stunned before realizing Gao Xuan was teasing her. She glared at him, "You, always talking nonsense. Once we get to the capital city, don’t behave this way..."

She babbled, "My aunt hates people talking nonsense the most."

"As long as you like it, it doesn’t matter if she doesn’t..."

Gao Xuan casually replied to Ye Jinxiu while flipping through the "Zhongshan Spear Technique."

Actually, most of the text is theoretical, though there are some diagrams and specific energy circulation mantras. Without someone to explain their meanings, outsiders who try to practice it can easily go astray.

Flying Tiger didn’t take this spear technique seriously, precisely because of this reason. He was already skilled in spear techniques, so he needed to study the principles to comprehend the mysteries within them.

Gao Xuan read quickly, and by the time he and Ye Jinxiu caught up with the caravan, he had already read the book twice.

As it was getting dark and the road was difficult to navigate, the three caravans camped in a circle on an open space.

Earlier in the afternoon, there was an unpleasant incident, so Wanfu and Anlong gave the Ye Family a lot of wine and food as an apology.

However, Elder Housekeeper Ye did not appreciate it. He sneered, "I don’t dare take it. Who knows if it’s poisoned."

Both sides had already fallen out, and Elder Housekeeper Ye couldn’t be bothered to put on a show.

Shopkeeper Wan, looking embarrassed, waved his hand, "How could it be? It was all a misunderstanding. Elder Housekeeper, we are legitimate businessmen."

As he spoke, he opened a wine jar and scooped a bowl to drink himself first.

Shopkeeper Wan wiped the wine drips from the corner of his mouth, "Flying Tiger Stronghold is formidable, and the Village Chief is an expert. Our three sides must unite in cooperation..."

As he was speaking, Gao Xuan walked over and thrust a spear between Shopkeeper Wan’s legs.

The heavy Zhongshan Spear penetrated nearly two feet into the ground, and the spear shaft vibrated with a hum.

Shopkeeper Wan was frightened and turned pale when he recognized the spear.

Although Wanfu was known for other things, they actually dealt in weapons as well. As a shopkeeper, he was extremely knowledgeable about them.

Just by taking a glance, he knew this spear was made of Profound Steel, the same as the one owned by Flying Tiger.

Such an important weapon would only change hands if the original owner had died. There was no doubt that Gao Xuan had eliminated Flying Tiger.

Thinking of this, Shopkeeper Wan’s face turned ashen. His mind raced, but he didn’t know what to say.

Another shopkeeper, An, also realized something was wrong, and his fat face instantly froze with fear.

Both shopkeepers, awkward and frightened, mumbled some polite words and quickly left.

From then on, both Wanfu and Anlong’s caravans were extremely respectful and polite to the Ye Family. There were no further conflicts.

Every day, Gao Xuan played with the Thunder Pearl, using the Pure Yang Thunder Power to temper his body and blood, achieving great results.

Gao Xuan’s skill with the Zhongshan Spear and Great Wind Saber also greatly improved. Although he didn’t have a specific cultivation method, it broadened his horizons and understanding.

He learned how a spear should be used, how a sword should be wielded, and most importantly, the principles behind them. He grasped the fundamentals.

With Gao Xuan’s insights, practicing these techniques came easily.

Of course, without the true secret technique inheritance, Gao Xuan’s progress was limited to his current level. His strength in sword and spear techniques was limited to his own power level.

The two martial arts would not surpass his personal realm.

His battle with Flying Tiger also made Gao Xuan understand the importance of Spear Intent. His Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Cross Training Method was stuck at a bottleneck because it lacked the core secret technique inheritance.

Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Cross Training Method must have its core Divine Intent.

Either he must obtain the secret teachings from the Celestial Soldier Mansion, or find a strong practitioner who has mastered the Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Cross Training Method to its peak.

No matter how advanced Gao Xuan’s martial arts skill was, he couldn’t deduce the secret technique’s divine intent from nothing.

Because the divine intent inevitably aligns with corresponding Qi and blood changes. These aren’t imaginary.

Just like the scarlet giant tiger of Flying Tiger, it wasn’t actual Zhongshan Spear Intent, but the Martial Arts Divine Intent he developed according to his own condition. Reaching this step, Flying Tiger truly understood martial arts.

Gao Xuan was not in a hurry. With the Thunder Pearl refining his body, even without the secret technique inheritance, he could forcefully reach the Martial Saint level with his vital Qi.

At that point, he could deduce a Martial Arts Divine Intent that suited him based on his situation.

However, refining the body with the Thunder Pearl requires time. At least twenty years. This is a slow and meticulous process, and only when vital Qi is honed to the extreme can one advance. There’s no shortcut.

The three caravans traveled without incident for over half a month, arriving safely at Mingjing.

Outside Mingjing City, there was a small city on each the east and west sides, initially used as camps for troops to protect Mingjing.

Later, both large camps were disbanded, and the barracks slowly became places for the poor to gather. It then gradually evolved into a transfer point for goods of traveling caravans.

Within the city, the rules were numerous, and merchants had low status making things inconvenient. Additionally, people and horses had to pay hefty taxes to enter the city, which was quite troublesome.

The Ye Family, along with the three caravans, did not enter Mingjing directly but went into the East Camp outside East City.

Housekeeper Ye mainly accompanied Ye Jinxiu and Gao Xuan. His task was completed upon arrival here. He sold all the goods to Wanfu.

Shopkeeper Wan, afraid of Gao Xuan, still made a profit from the goods. He bought them at a relatively higher price.

Housekeeper Ye left ninety percent of the sale money with Ye Jinxiu and took ten percent with other people on the same day and left.

Mingjing was too large, and after a falling out with Wanfu, prolonged stay was bound to lead to trouble.

After Elder Housekeeper left, Gao Xuan and Ye Jinxiu stayed in the East Camp. Neither was in a hurry to enter the city; they were waiting here for Ye Mingxia.

Otherwise, once in the city, they would be as good as blind, unable to find anyone.

Shopkeeper Wan knew that Gao Xuan and Ye Jinxiu were not present, and he was secretly pleased. After checking the goods, he rushed into the city to the main Wanfu branch.

As the head shopkeeper overseeing the caravan, Shopkeeper Wan was a well-known figure at the main branch. Upon arrival, he was immediately taken to the old residence in the back.

In the study, Shopkeeper Wan met the young master Wan Nan. After respectfully saluting, he briefly reported the situation of the caravan.

Shopkeeper Wan concluded, "Master, Gao Xuan killed Flying Tiger and seized the Zhongshan Spear. This person is very dangerous. We don’t know why he came to Mingjing. Should we eliminate him?"