Chapter 52 We Will Go Back Sooner or Later

An online meeting was held in the capital of the East Polar Nation.

All eight councilors were already present.

"Things on my end are proceeding very smoothly..."
"The Southern Dao Sect has also been dealt with."
"There are some issues with the Northern Dao Sect, but they didn't raise any objections and similarly chose to cooperate with the reorganization."
....
"Yuan Ruifeng, the master of the Five-Form Sect, has passed away. Li Long is also dead. Liu Shan and Wang Quan are still gathering disciples. Chen Anhe, Shen Han, and Zhou Hao have left the country. Zheng Chengze and Zhang Ji broke through and tried to escape; Zheng Chengze was killed on the spot, and Zhang Ji..."

On the screen, footage appeared of Zhang Ji using the Torrential Fall combined with the Five-Form Unity to destroy those drones and spiritual soldiers, plunging everyone into silence.

"He is even more talented than Li Long of the Five-Form Sect."
"It reminds me of the Vajra Gate from over twenty years ago. That was a tough battle... Isn't he also a remnant disciple of the Vajra Gate? Why wasn't it thoroughly wiped out back then?"
"They have been rooted in this land for much longer than we have..."
"The most urgent priority is how to deal with this person named Zhang Ji!"
"We must see him alive, or his body if he's dead. We cannot let such a martial artist leave. He is too young—so young that it terrifies me..."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone expressed agreement.

Possessing such strength at so young age made his eventual step into that realm known as the Land-Bound Immortal almost a certainty.

While the Land-Bound Immortal of the Northern Dao Sect was indeed terrifying, he was old after all and had only two or three decades left to live, which was why the Northern Dao Sect had no choice but to submit to the grand trend.

Zhang Ji was different.

If he made a breakthrough, he would become a sharp blade suspended above their heads for the next several centuries, threatening to fall upon any member of their families at any moment.

A powerhouse of that caliber, once determined to cause destruction, could hardly be stopped by the current society of the East Polar Nation.

"Who will go?"
"I haven't finished dealing with things on my end..."
"You want to send my people again? Then I must ask about the reimbursement for the previous losses..."

The councilors began bickering among themselves.

Although they had formed the same council to jointly rule the East Polar Nation, the resources each controlled remained strictly demarcated.

At this very moment, facing a grandmaster-level expert like Zhang Ji who could easily shatter spiritual soldiers, none of them wanted their own subordinates to suffer losses.

Liu Hetong did not speak. In this meeting, he was merely an observer.

Previously, he had arranged for people to provide cover for Chen Anhe, Zhou Hao, Shen Han, and that batch of Five-Form Sect disciples to leave the East Polar Nation.

Although this matter had been handled covertly, all these councilors were well aware of the inner workings.

Therefore, it was not convenient for him to meddle in the affairs of the Five-Form Sect now.

After all, his transaction with Yuan Ruifeng was practically out in the open, and these councilors would certainly not trust him.

Of course, as a political figure, Liu Hetong had no intention of helping the Five-Form Sect either.

He was merely weighing the pros and cons to make his choice.

Hadn't they noticed? After he sent the people of the Five-Form Sect away, many other sects had come knocking on his door with their family assets.

A trustworthy political merchant was still highly sought after in the market.

Having consumed so many resources from the martial arts world, he had now practically struck it rich in one fell swoop.

The rest was just about digestion, and he had no intention of interfering in the Five-Form Sect's business anymore.

As for whether Zhang Ji could escape with his life, he was actually quite keen to watch the show.

This group of old fossils had been in power for too long, and their methods showed not a shred of reverence. If there were a sword hanging over their heads, it would actually make it easier for him to maneuver.

Moreover, the probability of Zhang Ji retaliating against him was not very high, seeing as he had hedged his bets on both sides.

Thus, Zhang Ji escaping alive was a matter where benefits outweighed risks for him, all things considered.

Thinking along these lines, if they dared to hand this matter over to him to handle, Liu Hetong felt he might actually just let Zhang Ji go.

"To deal with these people from the martial arts world, we still have to use talents from the martial arts world."

Suddenly, a voice interrupted the discussion.

The speaker was a man who looked not even thirty years old.

Lin Kang, the head of the Lin family and currently one of the councilors wielding real power.

His actual age was ninety-five years old; he only looked young due to advanced biotechnology.

"Are you saying we should do it like we did with the Flame Blade Sect back then?" asked a councilor.

Back then, the Vajra Gate and the Flame Blade Sect—two of the top five sects in the East Polar Nation—had been led into that subsequent fight to the death because of official promises.

"The question is whether they will be willing to be driven."

The others hesitated.

After that incident, the credibility of the authorities had taken a massive hit, and by now, almost not a shred of credibility remained.

"Why would we need to drive them?" Lin Kang asked rhetorically. "As long as we give them a quota, they will go naturally."

That was true. The authorities were the dominant party now.

There was no need to use the old tactic of driving a tiger to devour a wolf.

Under the current plan to eradicate martial arts, as long as they promised the target that completing this task would allow them to keep their limbs, whether they were willing or not, they would give it a try.

Not trying meant death anyway.

Trying still left a possibility of survival.

"Which sect should we send?" asked a councilor.

"The Qianshan Sect!" Lin Kang smiled.

-----------------

In the middle reaches of the Wuwei River, Zhang Ji dragged his exhausted body ashore and then leaned against a tree to rest.

His primordial qi was depleted, his physical strength was down to almost nothing, and his spirit was completely exhausted from hydrokinesis over such a long distance.

Fortunately, he had managed to escape.

With the advantage of the terrain, the combat techniques of the [Mysterious Heart Style] were truly ferocious.

The might of that Torrential Fall strike was almost comparable to a B-grade skill.

If Zhang Ji were to assign star ratings to it, on its home turf, this combat technique would at least be at the (Fine Eight-Star) level and above.

Well, nine stars was the limit.

It wasn't given nine stars simply because it relied too heavily on the terrain.

If Zhang Ji were in a place lacking sufficient moisture, this move probably wouldn't even deserve a (Fine One-Star) rating.

Having recovered a fraction of his physical strength, Zhang Ji stood up and began walking toward the distance.

.....

Qianshan Sect.

Within the towering and majestic Qianshan Mountains, inside that grand hall, Xiong Mingxu slightly closed his eyes and reluctantly accepted the mission.

He knew very well that this was virtually identical to that tactic from the past.

Yet he had no choice but to accept.

He had no choice but to gamble on this possibility.

Of course, the greater reason was that he believed Zhang Ji had only recently entered the Grandmaster realm and was not to be feared.

"Junior Brother Duan, I must trouble you to take a trip with some men," Xiong Mingxu said to a white-haired elder.

"Understood," Duan Zichen nodded.

Immediately afterward, Duan Zichen departed directly.

A trace of nostalgia flashed in Xiong Mingxu's eyes.

This junior brother of his could be considered an absolute martial arts fanatic. Ever since entering the sect, he had spent almost all his time on the mountain studying and practicing martial arts. He entered the Grandmaster realm at forty-three, reached the peak of the Grandmaster realm at seventy-seven, and now, at eighty-six, he still hadn't put aside his drive for progress.

It was just a pity that as age increased, his vital blood declined year by year, making it extremely difficult to maintain his cultivation level without regressing. As for the realm of the Land-Bound Immortal, he would likely never be able to touch it.

How wonderful it would be if their Qianshan Sect could also produce a figure like Li Long?

With a Land-Bound Immortal, even in this era, they would be able to stand firm, just like the Northern Dao Sect, holding the martial world by its helm.

........

December 25th.

Deep within the Wei Mountains.

Zhang Ji remotely blasted a reconnaissance drone to pieces, then employed his movement technique to quickly evacuate his current location.

Ever since he fled into the Wei Mountains, he had encountered quite a few drones. Moreover, once one was encountered, more drones would subsequently converge on the spot, along with some bionic birds and mechanical dogs.

They were all searching for Zhang Ji's location.

Zhang Ji couldn't even light a fire now; whenever he caught wild beasts, he had no choice but to eat them raw.

As for whether he might contract any germs, he could no longer afford to care.

Inside a cave, Zhang Ji used his sharp claws to slice open the skin of a small deer, plucked off the velvet antlers to store away, and then casually butchered the meat and tossed it into his mouth.

After bleeding it, it wasn't all that unpalatable.

Though it didn't taste very good either.

Lacking spices, it still retained an unavoidable gamey stench.

After finishing the meat, Zhang Ji began practicing his martial arts.

He no longer practiced a single boxing style exclusively; instead, he simultaneously cultivated all five boxing styles of the Five-Form Sect.

Inside the narrow cave, Zhang Ji's figure shifted and turned, fully executing all five boxing styles of the Five-Form Sect and transitioning rapidly between them.

The mastery-level Dragon-Form Boxing and Snake-Form Boxing drove the remaining three styles of Crane, Leopard, and Tiger.

Nurtured by the massive amount of primordial qi from the Dragon-Form Boxing, after just a single day of practice, Zhang Ji was able to simultaneously acquire the essences of the Crane, Leopard, and Tiger forms.

This speed was even faster than singly cultivating a single style when resources were abundant back then.

The Five-Form boxing styles could complement and assist one another.

Once one style reached mastery, it could drag the rest into a cycle, rapidly pulling them forward.

If all five styles were cultivated simultaneously, they could likewise complement each other, enabling cultivation at an even faster pace.

Soon, Zhang Ji felt subtle changes occurring in his body and acquired the essences of the three new boxing styles.

He deposited the newly acquired essences into the Boundary Space.

Glancing inside, he saw that the essences of the Crane-Form Boxing already numbered five, the Leopard-Form and Tiger-Form boxings each had three, and the True Qi Nurturing Spirit Technique also had nine essences, nearing the mastery level.

He intended to stay in these mountains for about ten days or so.

By then, he should be able to bring the Five Forms to mastery and simultaneously bring the True Qi Nurturing Spirit Technique to mastery as well.

Combined with the Five-Form Unity, his strength would undergo a qualitative transformation.

Zhang Ji's consciousness withdrew from the Boundary Space, and he resumed his previous martial arts training routine.

He practiced this way until late into the night.

Stepping out from the cave, Zhang Ji felt a trace of chilliness on his face.

Looking up, he saw no moonlight, but instead fluttering snowflakes.

With his body's exuberant vital blood, Zhang Ji wouldn't feel cold even at sub-zero temperatures; at this moment, he merely felt a tinge of emotion.

Looking back in the direction of Golden Hook Mountain, Zhang Ji murmured, "I will return sooner or later."

At that moment, a sliver of moonlight pierced through the dark clouds, and Zhang Ji raised the Moon-Gathering Cup high, converging that radiance.

Deep within the jungle, he stood alone holding the moon, gazing toward the Golden Hook, and passion surged in his heart once again.

He had to return—for himself, for that carp that failed to transform into a dragon, and for the countless martial artists drowned by the tides of the era.

When that time came, he would carry the personal momentum capable of overwhelming this entire era, and with a single punch, shatter the tides of that era!

To tell this world: he, Zhang Ji, had arrived, and the era must now stand on his side!!!