Intent is the Way of Martial Arts!

Since comprehending “Jade Shattering,” his martial path had been set.

Among the most domineering “intents” of the present age, Wei Yuan’s “Formation Breaking” counted as one.

But if discussing whose martial path was the purest, most extreme, Xu Qian’s Jade Shattering definitely ranked at the top.

Other martial artists comprehended “intent” for battle, for killing enemies.

Xu Qian’s “intent” was not for preservation, but for shattering like jade, aimed at mutual destruction.

It existed for betting one’s life.

At first glance, it seemed he had comprehended this extreme “intent” after Wei Yuan died in battle, forced step by step by circumstances. But what if there hadn’t been the “Heaven and Earth Single Blade Strike” as a foundation?

Without this extreme technique of “after one strike, either you die or I live” laying the groundwork, could he have truly comprehended “Jade Shattering” when facing desperate straits at Yu Yang Pass?

Thinking back now, from the moment he chose the extreme technique “Heaven and Earth Single Blade Strike,” his martial path had already been set.

Thinking back now, his quick comprehension of “intent” and advancement to Fourth-Rank was because he had always been cultivating this “intent”—since the Eighth-Rank Qi Condensation realm, he had been cultivating the embryonic form of “Jade Shattering.”

When Xu Qian called out “Bet your life,” it wasn’t emotional impulse or empty boasting—there was reason behind it.

Since slaying Zhende and entering the jianghu, Xu Qian’s situation had always been like treading on thin ice.

On one side, he had to guard against Xu Pingfeng’s schemes; on the other, guarded against Buddhist persecution.

Struggling in such adverse circumstances, his understanding of “Jade Shattering” grew increasingly profound.

Until this battle at Mount Quanrong, dancing between the encirclement of three transcendent realm experts, in true desperate straits where death could come at any moment, Jade Shattering finally achieved a breakthrough…

Bet your life?!

This roar echoed through heaven and earth, even the soldiers and cavalry in the military garrison below Mount Quanrong heard it.

Though far away, the battle on Mount Quanrong made such a disturbance that the garrison could feel it.

They deeply knew the Martial Alliance faced its greatest crisis in history.

The battle between Xu Qian and three transcendent realm experts occasionally moved from the mountains to the sky, clearly visible from the garrison.

Nalan Tianlu’s method of summoning storm and rain.

“Betting his life? Has Constable Xu been forced to bet his life…”

In the downpour, a martial artist wiped his face, lips trembling.

“They say Constable Xu values loyalty above all else—heard it before but never saw it. Today I know the rumors weren’t false. He fights for us, already disregarding life and death.”

A low-ranking soldier gripped his sword, blood boiling, wishing he could ascend to help.

“Con-Constable Xu has been driven to his last resort…”

A Wanhua Palace woman covered her face, tears in her eyes.

The crowd’s expressions showed grief, indignation, and worry—clearly, facing such powerful enemies, facing godlike power, Constable Xu was staking everything on one throw, willing to fight to the death.

This call seemed more like the angry roar of one in desperate straits.

Rong’er’s face turned pale, her delicate fists clenched, her heart sinking deep.

“How has it come to this!”

Young Master Liu heard his master’s murmur and turned to look—his master’s sword-holding hand trembled slightly.

Through the tacit understanding between master and disciple, Young Master Liu understood his master’s meaning.

Why go to such lengths for the Martial Alliance?

Why must he defend Mount Quanrong to death?

Nearby, Cao Qingyang turned his head to look at the middle-aged swordsman, saying softly:

“It’s for the Old Ancestor—the Old Ancestor is in closed cultivation inside.”

Meeting everyone’s confused gazes, Cao Qingyang explained:

“Because of that battle in the capital, the Old Ancestor helped him. So, he will defend the Martial Alliance, never yielding.”

The Old Ancestor also acted in that capital battle.

So, Constable Xu fights for the Martial Alliance today, willing to risk death, just to repay that day’s aid… Everyone fell silent.

Xiao Yuenu walked a few steps forward, took a deep breath, and called out:

“Young hero’s spirit, joining with the five cities’ mighty. Hearts and guts pierced through. Hair standing on end. In conversation. Life and death are shared. A promise worth a thousand gold.”

She gazed at the young man standing in the wind and rain, softly murmuring:

“A promise worth a thousand gold.”

Everyone suddenly recalled this was one of Constable Xu’s masterpieces, reportedly composed when he alone blocked twenty thousand rebel troops in Yun Province, later widely sung in the capital and spread throughout the Central Plains by storytellers.

Constable Xu, a promise worth a thousand gold…

On the wind-riding boat.

Xu Yuanhuai, completely soaked by the downpour, looked down at that figure below, expression complex:

“Going to fight to the death…

“He’s finally been driven to his last resort too.”

Xu Yuanxiang frowned silently.

Ji Xuan stood at the ship’s rail, leaning slightly forward as if wanting to see more clearly.

“Rain Master Nalan has mobilized this realm’s power. I dare not say if the power reaches First-Rank, but it’s definitely at peak Second-Rank level.”

Ji Xuan took a deep breath: “This is a full major realm higher than Xu Qian. Without help or trump cards at the same level, he’ll certainly die.”

“Bet your life?”

“Dong Fang Wanrong’s” pupils shifted through five colors—a sign of Five Elements power filling her body.

Her tone was flat, even somewhat disdainful as she asked back:

“A mere Third-Rank martial artist dares bet his life with me?”

As she spoke, she raised her right hand high, palm toward the sky.

Boom~~

Lightning struck repeatedly, slowly “forging” a spear in her palm.

The spear was pure lightning, brilliant blue-white, with electric snakes dancing on its surface, making “sizzling” sounds.

“Dong Fang Wanrong” channeled the formless power she had gathered into the lightning spear. The brilliant blue-white instantly shifted through five colors.

Her hand began to tremble, as if unable to control this power.

“I need only lightly throw this lightning spear, and you’ll certainly die. Bet your life? You Xu don’t qualify.”

Though speaking such mocking words, “Dong Fang Wanrong’s” tone and expression showed no mockery, calm as if stating the ultimate truth.

Dunnan Vajra and Rakshasa Vajra silently retreated, pressing their palms together at a distance.

This Five Elements flowing lightning spear gave them an incredibly strong sense of threat. Their proud Vajra physique had no confidence or assurance before it.

This lightning spear in Nalan Tianlu’s hand, condensing this realm’s power with lightning force, could kill any Third-Rank martial artist.

Danger danger danger… Xu Qian felt his body frantically warning him, survival instinct urging him to flee quickly.

The power condensed in this lightning spear was enough to kill him.

“Xu Qian, if you don’t die this time, you’ll certainly become famous throughout the world. My brother Yang will again pound his chest in envy, jealous enough to want to possess your body…”

Li Lingsu rode his flying sword, watching from extremely far away.

White Tiger, Jingxin, and others who had been hunting him had now stopped, watching the distant battle. Everyone knew the crucial moment of victory had arrived.

Cao Qingyang’s group on South Peak held their breath, faces pale, eyes fixed.

They seemed to turn into statues in this instant.

“Wei Yuan…”

Nalan Tianlu muttered softly, stepped forward, and violently threw the lightning spear.

At this moment, in his mind appeared that blue robe, that young man in the downpour, gradually merging with the man in his memory.

Nalan Tianlu didn’t care about the Martial Alliance’s survival or destruction, wasn’t even purely here for the dragon energy. He chose to cooperate with Hidden Dragon City and Buddhism because he knew he would eventually meet Xu Qian.

The Martial Alliance, that old bastard—Nalan Tianlu didn’t care at all.

He didn’t even care about Xu Qian as a person.

This spear of his pierced through twenty years of mental knots pierced through his entangled grudges with the blue-robed one.

Boom boom boom…

In terrible sonic booms, the lightning spear became brilliant flowing light, piercing the rain curtain.

This brilliant, colorful flowing light reflected in everyone’s pupils.

Xu Qian settled all emotions and collapsed all energy, his body becoming a black hole, devouring the power within.

Facing this flowing light, he calmly struck with the Nation-Stabilizing Sword, struck with “Heaven and Earth Single Blade Strike.”

The brass sword burst with dazzling radiance. Following Xu Qian’s swing, the fierce surging radiance condensed into a golden thin line, arcing through rain curtain and void, striking toward the five-colored flowing light.

This sword light, concentrating all Xu Qian’s power, like a fragile thread, first broke, then dispersed.

Then came the “boom” of explosion.

By this time, when people heard the explosion, the lightning spear had already unstoppably pierced Xu Qian.

Heaven and Earth Single Blade Strike only weakened the lightning spear’s power, not stopping its advance.

The wind and rain seemed to freeze, time seemed to stop flowing.

Gazes watched Xu Qian about to meet disaster, their faces “slowly” showing expressions of sorrow, dismay, wild joy, or worry.

Slowly, because the lightning spear’s speed exceeded their facial expressions…

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Layers of Orthodox Qi dispersed.

“Pagoda Treasure…”

Xu Qian spread his arms, welcoming the lightning spear.

Sizzle sizzle…

When the lightning spear struck Xu Qian, it didn’t pierce through like normal weapons—it directly “dissolved” into his body.

The next moment, dazzling electric arcs danced on his skin, every pore spewing brilliant Five Elements power.

The lightning spear’s power exploded within him, destroying his vitality like a hurricane, destroying a Third-Rank martial artist’s vigorous vitality.

This destructive power far exceeded mere physical penetration.

The light in Xu Qian’s eyes slowly faded, falling into death’s stillness.

His charred body fell from the sky, falling helplessly.

“Constable Xu!!!”

From South Peak’s summit suddenly burst a bitter scream—unknown who cried out.

On the wind-riding boat, Xu Yuanxiang’s body swayed as two lines of hot liquid ran down her cheeks. Her energy-viewing technique told her that a person’s energy had been extinguished.

Even now, she still didn’t know whether to rejoice or grieve.

“Dead?”

Ji Xuan narrowed his eyes, gaze piercing the rain curtain, staring unblinkingly at the falling charred figure.

Li Lingsu rode his sword forward, face rigid, flying toward Xu Qian, wanting to catch him before he fell.

In the dense forest on the other side, Miao Youfang also ran wildly through the woods, rushing toward the falling Xu Qian, the crude jianghu wanderer’s face full of anguish and grief.

Yun Province!

Today the sky was clear and bright, with biting cold winds from the northeast.

Located at the southern end of the Nine Provinces continent, near the coast, Yun Province was damp and cold, but temperatures were notably higher than other regions.

It was also where the cold disaster was least severe.

Galooshu Bodhisattva, who usually stood on the watchtower gazing into the distance, today sat cross-legged at the tea table, drinking tea and sampling Yun Province delicacies.

While Xu Pingfeng, who always brewed and drank tea alone, had stood on the watchtower all day.

“Ah, if only this battle at the Martial Alliance could kill both Xu Qian and that old bastard, wouldn’t that be wonderful,”

Xu Pingfeng suddenly sighed.

“From how you speak, it seems this matter won’t succeed.”

Galooshu Bodhisattva’s tone was calm.

“There’s still hope, but success or failure speaks of heaven’s mandate. We plan affairs, but success lies with heaven.”

Xu Pingfeng stood with hands behind his back.

“If Xu Qian dies in battle in Sword Province, half the national fortune would return to Great Feng, unfavorable to our affairs.”

Galooshu silently watched him.

Xu Pingfeng nodded, answering indirectly with a sigh:

“If not for that old bastard from the Martial Alliance interfering, today would have been the best opportunity to reclaim half the national fortune.

“Now reviewing past moves like a chess game, sparing the Flower Goddess’s reincarnation that day was my oversight.”

Galooshu Bodhisattva set down his teacup, seeming to understand something, turning to look at the white-robed mystic’s back:

“You have other schemes.”

Xu Pingfeng laughed:

“When playing chess with Master Supervisor, one can never put all eggs in one basket, never pursue only one goal. Otherwise, the loss will be bitter.

“Do you know how I’ve schemed in Yun Province, established Hidden Dragon City, and kept it from the Supervisor for twenty years?”

“Amitabha!”

Dunnan Vajra pressed his palms together, chanting the Buddha’s name.

Arantha showed two completely different attitudes toward Xu Qian. The monks led by Guangxian Bodhisattva and Arhat favored converting Xu Qian to Buddhism.

They supported Mahayana Buddhism.

The faction led by Galooshu Bodhisattva advocated Hinayana Buddhism, thus their unfriendly attitude toward Xu Qian.

The Dharma-protecting Vajras undoubtedly belonged to Galooshu Bodhisattva’s faction.

Because this Bodhisattva, Buddhism’s number one warrior, controlled one of the Nine Great Dharma Appearances—the Vajra Appearance.

Against this background, Dunnan and Dufan Vajra’s attitude toward Xu Qian was: convertible or killable.

From Lei Province to Yong Province, conflicts along the way had worn away the two Vajras’ patience.

Since he wouldn’t convert and repeatedly opposed Buddhism, then kill him.

“This way, Arantha won’t need to fight bitterly over this matter, and the conflict between Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism will soften considerably.”

Rakshasa Vajra thought the same.

Suddenly, Dong Fang Wanrong let out a high-pitched scream, agonized and shrill. Dazzling electric arcs danced on her skin as her fair complexion instantly carbonized.

From her gaping mouth, eyes, nostrils, and ears shot forth seven-colored brilliant light.

A terrible power exploded within her, instantly taking away most of her vitality.

Jade Shattering!

Before the two Vajras could react, another “boom” thundered in the distance. The Pagoda Treasure burst through its earthen burial, rising into the air, and flying toward the falling Xu Qian.

At its peak condensed a golden Dharma appearance, one hand in the flower-pinching mudra, the other holding a jade vase, slightly plump in form with kind eyes and gentle brows.

The jade vase sprinkled scattered light fragments, like spring rain, flowing into Xu Qian’s body.

Medicine Master Dharma Appearance.