Chapter 127: Another First-Class Martial Art Acquired

"Whoever approaches, withdraw at once. Otherwise, you shall be killed without mercy."

A deep, resonant voice echoed from the mountaintop. It was clearly the voice of a Martial Marquis.

Lu Yan said nothing. With a burst of strength in his legs, he surged toward the peak like a gale.

"Fire!" came the cold command from above.

*Whiz! Whiz! Whiz!*

Suddenly, over a hundred arrows rained down, blackening the sky as they descended upon Lu Yan. Among them were both standard bow-shot arrows and armor-piercing bolts. Even before they arrived, they carried a crushing pressure.

Lu Yan did not slow down. He continued to charge forward, his palms turning a golden hue as he reached out to grasp the air before him.

Six metallic arrows, moving with the greatest speed, targeted his vital points: his brow, throat, and heart. Each arrow emitted a terrifying whistle; from the sound alone, Lu Yan knew these had been loosed by six experts who had broken their limits five times and were masters of archery. Back in the forbidden grounds of Changfeng Mountain, Lu Yan and Shen Yinuo had been ambushed by a single such master and had barely escaped with their lives. These six were no weaker than that previous assailant.

Yet, when the six arrows neared him, Lu Yan caught them in his hands with effortless ease. He then swung the six arrows forward, knocking aside all the other incoming projectiles. His speed remained completely unaffected.

"Fire again."

The voice sounded from the peak once more, heavy and grim. Another hundred arrows flew toward him.

This time, several arrows hidden among the others were particularly lethal. They were two meters long, as thick as a thumb, and aimed straight for his heart and brow. Had an ordinary person been struck, their body would have been blasted apart.

Heavy armor-piercing bolts.

The term surfaced in Lu Yan's mind. These were weapons of war, battlefield killers that even most Martial Marquises would avoid.

But he was Lu Yan, not an ordinary Martial Marquis.

His bone energy erupted, and he swung the six arrows he held from bottom to top.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

The heavy armor-piercing bolts were knocked aside one by one, followed by all the other arrows. After two rounds of volleys, Lu Yan reached the summit. Before him, over two hundred martial soldiers stood in formation.

Lu Yan charged directly at them.

"Shields! Form up!"

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Dozens of robust soldiers, each holding a shield weighing hundreds of pounds, locked them together to form a wall of metal. Through the gaps in the shields, sharp spears protruded.

Lu Yan did not dodge. He activated his Vajra Indestructible Technique and allowed his bone energy to erupt, slamming both fists into the tips of the spears ahead. The spears flew back like javelins, killing four soldiers on impact. Then, Lu Yan’s body slammed directly into the shield wall.

*BOOM!*

It was as if a meteorite had struck. The heavy shields were sent flying, and dozens of soldiers were hurled dozens of meters away, their bones shattered and tendons torn.

But the next moment, four sharp swords lunged toward his eyes, throat, and heart. They were incredibly keen, swift, and ruthless—the epitome of speed and precision.

Martial Marquises!

The four Martial Marquises of the He clan had been hiding behind the shields, waiting for the moment Lu Yan broke through. Their coordinated strike was seamless.

But Lu Yan did not even blink.

Judging by the whistle of the blades cutting through the air, he had already determined the cultivation level of each attacker. The one aiming for his right eye was the strongest, a fourth-level Martial Marquis. The one targeting his heart was a second-level, while the ones attacking his left eye and throat were both first-level.

He grabbed the two swords aimed at his eyes, stopping them cold in his palms. As for the blades aimed at his throat and heart, he ignored them.

*Clang! Clang!*

The swords struck his body as if hitting solid metal. Lu Yan’s eight strands of bone energy erupted instantly.

*Hum!*

The two swords vibrated violently, sending the two Martial Marquises reeling back more than ten meters. Their faces flushed red, and they nearly coughed up blood.

Lu Yan then twisted his palms with a sudden, violent force.

"No, retreat!"

The fourth-level Martial Marquis aiming for his right eye turned pale and shouted, abandoning his sword along with his companion to retreat frantically.

*Bang!*

The moment they pulled back, the two swords shattered. Propelled by Lu Yan’s overwhelming bone energy, the fragments shot out like a torrential storm. The two He clan members reached for their waists and drew soft swords, dancing them into a wall of light. After a series of clanging sounds, the fourth-level Martial Marquis blocked all the shards. But the first-level Martial Marquis lacked such power; three shards pierced his body, and he collapsed to the ground, critically wounded.

*Bang!*

Lu Yan took a step, lunged forward, and threw a punch at the fourth-level expert. The "Wind-Chasing Death-Dealing Sword" technique was indeed versatile, but faced with Lu Yan’s tyrannical strike, it had no room to maneuver. Lu Yan smashed his fist into the sword, driving the blade into the man's chest. He was sent flying twenty meters away, vomiting blood, his face deathly pale.

"Who else wishes to fight?"

Lu Yan did not continue his assault; he merely looked around. No one dared to move. Even the two surviving Martial Marquises and the two hundred soldiers stood far away, their eyes filled with terror. He was too strong—an unstoppable monster they could not hope to defeat.

"Sir, the He clan has never met you before. Why do you do this?" the fourth-level expert asked, struggling to his feet.

"You were the ones who attacked first," Lu Yan stated earnestly.

"..." The He clan members remained silent.

"Then, sir, what is your purpose here?" the expert continued.

"I heard the He clan’s Wind-Chasing Death-Dealing Sword is quite exquisite, so I wish to borrow it for one month. I shall return it afterward," Lu Yan replied.

"Borrow a martial art?" The He clan members were taken aback. Lu Yan’s cultivation was unfathomable—he was surely a fifth-level Martial Marquis. Such a person would certainly have already mastered first-class martial arts. Why would he need to borrow theirs? Unless he had already reached the pinnacle of his own techniques and could no longer progress, he would not consider practicing another.

For a martial artist who had broken their limits, first-class martial arts were essential for reaching the level of a Martial Marquis. For a Marquis-level clan, they were the foundation. But for a Martial Marquis himself, they were less critical than resources. Thus, such brazen demands for techniques were rare.

"What? You won't lend it?" Seeing their silence, Lu Yan’s face darkened, his eyes turning cold. The He clan members felt a chill run down their spines, sweat dripping down their faces.

"Sir, will you truly return it in just one month?" The fourth-level expert was skeptical, fearing the "meat bun thrown at a dog"—never to return. Understanding a first-class technique took far longer than a month.

"My talent for martial arts is unparalleled throughout history. One month is more than enough to comprehend a first-class technique. Go and fetch it," Lu Yan said, his hands clasped behind his back, exuding the air of a peerless master.

"...Very well, sir. Please wait." The He clan’s Martial Marquises had no choice but to concede. Even if the technique never returned, they had to comply. If they lost their foundation, the He clan might decline slowly, but if they refused, the He clan would perish today.

"Also, bring me all your second-class archery techniques," Lu Yan added.

They nodded repeatedly. A first-level Martial Marquis left for the castle atop the blood-vein earth and soon returned with an iron box. Lu Yan opened it to find several manuals and a scroll.

He checked them; the scroll was indeed the divine intent diagram for the Wind-Chasing Death-Dealing Sword, along with the sword manual. The other two books were second-class archery techniques.

Satisfied, Lu Yan took the box and said, "I shall return these on time in one month."

With that, he leaped toward the foot of the mountain, vanishing into the distance like a flash of lightning.

The He clan members looked at one another.

"Clan head, should we report this to the Liu clan?" a first-level expert asked. Because the Wind-Chasing City He clan was not far from Changfeng City, they had pledged allegiance to the Liu clan after the latter’s rise.

The fourth-level clan head pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "This man’s strength is unfathomable, far beyond an ordinary fifth-level Martial Marquis. He surely has a significant background. Yet, when he fought, he held back; otherwise, you and I would be dead. Perhaps he will keep his word and return the techniques. It is better not to report it."

The others nodded.

Lu Yan reached a desolate mountain, found a cave, and began reading the Wind-Chasing Death-Dealing Sword manual. When he had comprehended the Nine-Slash God-Thunder Blade, he had already merged two first-class techniques; now, he had three. His understanding of martial arts was deeper, and his speed of comprehension was faster. However, as this was his first contact with swordplay, it still took him a full month to master the basics and form a martial clone.

Once successful, Lu Yan dug a pit in the mountain, buried the box containing the manual and diagram, and then disguised himself to enter Wind-Chasing City. He left a note for the He clan with the location of the buried items.

He had to be cautious. He knew the He clan was allied with the Liu clan, and he feared that once he left, they might report him, leading the Liu clan ancestor to wait in ambush.

Leaving the note, Lu Yan continued north. Half a day later, another city appeared before him.

"Snake City, the Ge clan."

A cold smile crossed Lu Yan’s face. He had no love for these poisonous snakes. The strongest in Snake City was also a fourth-level Martial Marquis. However, Lu Yan had no interest in their first-class technique, the "Seven-Evil Snake-Form Hand." When practiced to a high level, the practitioner began to resemble a snake, which was somewhat nauseating to him. He would only practice it if he had no other choice.

But since he was here, there was no reason not to visit the Ge clan.

Half an hour later, Lu Yan left Snake City, his pockets heavier by a hundred thousand silver taels in gold and silver notes.