Martial Cultivator

“His Excellency the Lord Warden Commander personally fed you punches?”

Chen Yi sucked in a cold breath. Just thinking about it felt terrifying. A peerless martial artist at the very end of Nepenthe, the strongest martial artist of the current era, even if his punches were not meant to kill, who could really endure a blow like that?

He Liang laughed foolishly and said, “Master suppresses his realm when he punches, but my senior brother and I still can’t withstand more than a few of his punches.”

Chen Yi could not help but sigh with emotion. “Martial artists cultivate with such difficulty. No wonder Fellow Daoist He is so young and yet has achieved so much. None of it came for free.”

Perhaps it was the first time He Liang had been praised by someone other than his master or senior brother. For a moment, he did not know how to respond and only scratched his head.

Up ahead, Chen Chao stopped and said jokingly, “If Fellow Daoist Chen is interested, this official can also suppress my realm and exchange punches with Fellow Daoist Chen.”

Chen Yi immediately shook his head, his face turning ugly as he said bitterly, “Your Excellency the Lord Warden Commander, please don’t tease this lowly daoist. I’m afraid that even fighting at the same realm, this lowly daoist wouldn’t be able to withstand two or three punches from Your Excellency.”

Hearing this, He Liang looked seriously at Chen Yi. As someone who had crossed hands with both his own master and the Chen Yi before him, he could responsibly say that the other party absolutely would not be able to withstand even a single punch from his master.

Truly the type to fall with one punch.

But He Liang still did not point it out. Heh, saying something like that would hurt feelings.

For some reason, at this moment He Liang felt that he was very clever. If Master knew, he would probably praise him, right?

Chen Chao stopped, allowing the three of them to rest for a moment. After Xu Qiu caught up, she could not help but gasp for air. As she breathed heavily, the scene before her chest rose and fell violently, like a calm lake suddenly churning with waves, or like a mountain peak shaking violently because of an earthquake.

Chen Chao quietly shifted his gaze away, looked ahead, and smiled. “We are less than a hundred miles from Mt. Tai Xuan.”

Xu Qiu could not help complaining, “Mt. Tai Xuan isn’t going to grow legs and run away. Why is Lord Warden Commander in such a hurry?”

Chen Chao did not mind her words and only smiled calmly.

In the letter he sent to Song Lian, he had already made things very clear. This trip to Genglou Mountain required bringing more people, including those responsible for mining ore. Once Genglou Mountain was taken, mining would begin immediately. Chen Chao had even issued an order to the military office of Xinliu Prefecture at the same time, telling them to send people out to open a route between Genglou Mountain and the Divine Capital, ensuring that the road for transporting Dragonblood Stone would remain unobstructed and that the Dragonblood Stone could be delivered to the Divine Capital at the fastest possible speed.

As for the Ministry of Works, Chen Chao had likewise sent a letter there, telling them to prepare for forging and to place armor forging above all else, striving to forge the greatest number of suits of armor in the shortest possible time.

In other words, from the moment Chen Chao descended the mountain, all of these matters had already begun.

Chen Chao even thought that once the matter of Mt. Tai Xuan was resolved, perhaps a site could be directly opened at Genglou Mountain, allowing the craftsmen of the Ministry of Works and the swordsmiths from Sword Qi Mountain to come over and forge armor directly at Genglou Mountain.

All of this was to save as much time as possible.

Chen Chao wished he could see the battle armor completed tomorrow and then sent straight to the Northern Frontier.

By the way, Chen Chao also needed to write a letter to the Northern Frontier and deliver it to that Great General, asking him to select a force of roughly one hundred thousand seasoned battlefield veterans to make preparations in advance for the later formation of a new army.

In Chen Chao’s mind, there was already such a scene: a great army whose combat strength far surpassed that of ordinary frontier troops suddenly appearing on the battlefield one day, beating that group of demons who were usually arrogant and full of themselves until they were routed and fled in disgrace.

Thinking of this, Chen Chao could not help feeling a little smug. Even if Your Father isn’t at the north, when have I ever failed to think things through for you?

Seeing that her question had not received an answer, Xu Qiu was not annoyed. She was only thinking that she might soon see that Sword Immortal Lu, and her thoughts drifted.

Although after all these years she no longer harbored any feelings for Lu Chu, he was still a man she had liked in her youth. If they truly met this time, she would inevitably be unable to remain as calm as she appeared on the surface.

The word “feelings” truly endured longer than most other things under heaven.

Chen Chao noticed Xu Qiu’s expression and smiled as he spoke. “Is Fellow Daoist Xu afraid that this official will kill that young sword immortal later?”

A sword immortal, a figure famous throughout the world, if it were anyone else, it would absolutely be impossible to speak of killing him so casually. But the one before her truly had that ability.

And truly would have such thoughts.

Xu Qiu remained silent.

As a cultivator of the Mountains and Rivers Sect, she naturally had to side with the Mountains and Rivers Sect. What was more, that had only been a thought from the past. Naturally, she would not speak up at this moment.

Chen Chao glanced at Xu Qiu and nodded. “Fellow Daoist Xu knows what truly matters.”

Xu Qiu suddenly said, “If this lowly woman truly liked that Sword Immortal Lu to the point I could not help myself, what should I do to feel at ease?”

She asked about feeling at ease.

Chen Chao thought for a moment and said, “Since it is peace of mind you seek, then leave the Mt. Tai Xuan and go to Mt. Tai Xuan to live and die together with him. But if you want peace of mind, in the end you can only go yourself, and cannot say anything more.”

Xu Qiu smiled and asked, “Then will Lord Warden Commander show this lowly woman some mercy?”

Chen Chao shook his head and said, “I will not.”

Xu Qiu covered her mouth and laughed. “Lord Warden Commander is truly heartless.”

Chen Chao looked at this female cultivator from the Mountains and Rivers Sect and smiled as he asked, “Xu Qiu, do you think that when it comes to major matters, this official should be soft-hearted? Do you think this official’s compassion toward you is more important, or the fate of those countless common people is more important?”

Xu Qiu said nothing.

Chen Chao suddenly asked, “Xu Qiu, have you been hesitating for a long time over whether to send a message to warn that Sword Immortal Lu?”

Hearing this, before Xu Qiu could speak, Chen Yi on the side opened his mouth first. “Senior Sister, you...”

Chen Chao waved his hand, only staring at Xu Qiu as he said calmly, “Liking someone is not wrong in this official’s view. The other party not liking you, while you still like them, is not much of a mistake either. It is nothing more than the word ‘infatuation.’ This official can tell you the truth: even if you warn Lu Chu now, it will be of no use. But if you do so, then this official will have to seriously reconsider the relationship between Great Liang and Mountains and Rivers Sect.”

“And also, Xu Qiu, this official actually wants to ask you one more thing - whether it is worth it.”

Chen Chao said calmly, “Perhaps to Lu Chu, you, Xu Qiu, are merely someone he has never heard of and never seen.”

Xu Qiu’s gaze dimmed, but she quickly said, “Lord Warden Commander, I know it in my heart.”

Chen Chao glanced at Xu Qiu and shook his head.

After that, the group continued onward, the atmosphere rather heavy.

It was not until they neared the foot of the mountain that the group stopped. Chen Chao glanced at Xu Qiu, thought for a moment, then looked at Chen Yi and said, “I will have to trouble Fellow Daoist Chen.”

Chen Yi chuckled. “This lowly daoist understands.”

After that, the group ascended the mountain and arrived before the mountain gate.

Before the gate stood disciples guarding Mt. Tai Xuan. Looking at the group, they said indifferently, “This is an immortal sacred ground, idle people, stop!”

Chen Chao stopped his steps. At his side, Chen Yi took a deep breath and stepped forward.

Then this young cultivator of Mountains and Rivers Sect spoke, his voice full and resonant.

“Chen Yi of Mountains and Rivers Sect, representing Mountains and Rivers Sect, has come especially to Mt. Tai Xuan’s Purple Leaf Grotto to demand Genglou Mountain!”