Chapter 74: The Alliance of Six Clans

"Does this mean I've won?" Lu Yan asked with a gentle smile.

"It does, indeed it does. Your blade technique is profound, sir, and I am utterly convinced. I wish to take you as my master, and hope you will grant me this honor," Wang Dao said, abandoning his sword and bowing deeply.

He truly was obsessed with martial arts.

Lu Yan hurriedly helped Wang Dao up, saying, "You flatter me, sir. Becoming your master is far too much; we can simply spar more in the future." He quickly drew a pie in the sky, and whether they would truly spar again depended on his availability.

"Very well, let's spar often in the future. You must remember to come see me," Wang Dao replied.

"And, as I promised, I will keep my word. Please wait a moment," he said, then entered the inner chamber. Moments later, he emerged holding a long blade, handing it to Lu Yan. "This is the Crimson Blood Blade; you may inspect it."

Clang!

Lu Yan drew the Crimson Blood Blade.

Its shape was strikingly similar to the previous Hundred-Forged Steel Blade, resembling a Tang sword. Lu Yan couldn't help but admire the aesthetic sense of this world.

The Crimson Blood Blade was entirely red, like fresh blood, yet it emitted a faint glow. The blade itself was streaked with black, which Lu Yan knew was the result of absorbing too much blood after countless killings.

It was a fierce weapon, but unquestionably a fine blade. Lu Yan could tell at a glance it was far superior to the Hundred-Forged Steel Blade.

It was worthy of being called a legendary weapon.

"A treasured blade belongs with a hero. The Crimson Blood Blade was wasted in my hands, but in yours, a master of the way of the sword, it will truly shine," Wang Dao sighed, a hint of reluctance in his voice. After all, this blade had been passed down through three generations; to give it away left him feeling hollow.

"Thank you, elder," Lu Yan said, sheathing the blade and fastening it to his back. He clasped his hands and turned to leave.

There was no sentimentality. With that single stroke earlier, he had demonstrated the unity of man and weapon, clearing the fog for the other man and letting him see the dawn ahead.

If the other had enough talent, following that light, he too might one day reach the unity of man and weapon.

That was a great favor.

To hear the Way in the morning, and die in the evening—such was the sentiment.

At worst, he could offer guidance again in the future.

Later, Lu Yan returned with Li Shuo to the Hundred Herb Guild, purchasing two hundred pounds of martial food rations.

This time, Li Shuo treated Lu Yan with much more respect.

With everything prepared, Lu Yan left the city, constantly changing direction to ensure he wasn't being followed.

He had spent a considerable sum this time—eighteen thousand taels of silver in one go—so he had to be cautious.

Fortunately, the Hundred Herb Guild was a large organization and maintained good confidentiality; no one had targeted him.

Two days later, Lu Yan returned to Changfeng City and went home to his training chamber, laying out four martial arts manuals side by side.

He pondered which to cultivate first.

"The Overlord Shovel is just shy of reaching unity of man and weapon. I'll finish cultivating it to that level, then work on the Wind-Chasing Step," Lu Yan decided.

First, he would master the martial skill for escaping.

He chewed a piece of martial food and began his training.

Three days later, Lu Yan visited the Blood Meridian.

By then, Shen Yinuo had completed her bone-force transformation and began fulfilling her agreement with Lu Yan, cooking martial food, and had already prepared a pot.

Lu Yan bought a food box, packed some to take home, and combined it with martial food rations for his training.

Another half month passed, and the Overlord Shovel finally reached the unity of man and weapon, forging a martial body and receiving the gift of heaven and earth.

However, the effects this time were much less than when he mastered the Sky-Cleaving Blade.

His physical strength and blood capacity increased by less than twenty percent, roughly fifteen percent.

But his blood's density rose by twenty percent.

The main reason was that Lu Yan's foundation was already extremely strong.

His blood capacity was five times that of other martial artists.

It was like a martial body with five times the blood capacity of a normal practitioner; even if it mastered a second-tier martial art to the unity of man and weapon, the improvement would be limited.

"It's getting weaker and weaker. Next time I forge a martial body, the effect might be less than ten percent," Lu Yan thought to himself.

But even without the martial body effect, second-tier martial arts still needed to be cultivated.

First, even if one didn't practice martial arts, the Dao Book would absorb half the energy from the martial food.

Second, the more martial skills one cultivated, the more meridian branches were opened, and the faster the blood would accumulate.

Third, Lu Yan hoped second-tier martial arts could merge into first-tier ones.

The Overlord Shovel, like the Sky-Cleaving Blade, did not make him taller after forging the martial body; his height remained unchanged.

At that moment, he had just begun to master the Wind-Chasing Step, so he redirected his martial food energy to the avatar of Wind-Chasing Step.

After Shen Yinuo became a Martial Marquis, she became much more adept at cooking the 'Yinuo Lizard Meat', and Lu Yan received an average of ten pounds of martial food a day, plus five pounds of martial food rations, which greatly accelerated his progress.

In less than ten days, the Wind-Chasing Step reached the perfection stage. Lu Yan tested it, and at perfection, its speed matched the transcendent Flying Antelope Leg.

He believed that once he achieved unity of man and weapon, his movement and speed would undergo a qualitative leap.

...

Forbidden Land!

Bang! Bang! Bang...

Violent collisions echoed through the mountain forest of the Forbidden Land. Giant rocks shattered, and trees toppled.

It was as if several primordial beasts were rampaging through the woods.

After several thunderous crashes, four figures retreated, their auras terrifying, locked in a tense standoff.

All four men were tall and powerfully built; if Lu Yan were present, he would certainly recognize one—Liu Yuansong.

Standing beside Liu Yuansong was a Martial Marquis from the Wu Clan.

The other two were also Martial Marquis, each from different noble clans, both roughly sixty years old.

"So? Do you intend to detain even us?" one Martial Marquis said coldly, hailing from the Stone Clan of Boulder City.

"Why not?" replied the Wu Clan's Martial Marquis.

"You can't cover a fire with paper. The Hidden Blood Meridian has been exposed; your two clans can't hope to monopolize it," said the Stone Clan's Martial Marquis.

"So what if it's exposed? This place is within the Changfeng territory. Even if there's a Hidden Blood Meridian, it belongs to the two clans of Changfeng," retorted the Wu Clan's Martial Marquis.

"The Hidden Blood Meridian lies within relics predating the ancient era; it belongs to no one. Finders keepers. Who says it must be yours?" The Stone Clan's Martial Marquis would not give an inch.

"Finders keepers? Wishful thinking. You two dared to trespass; you shall all stay," a voice howled from not far away. Two figures rushed over, arriving within moments.

They were also Martial Marquis, from the Liu and Wu clans.

The two newcomers joined Liu Yuansong and the others, surrounding their adversaries, as murderous intent filled the forest.

Facing the encirclement of four Martial Marquis, the Stone Clan and Zhao Clan Martial Marquis remained calm, utterly unafraid.

"You want to kill us? Aren't you afraid our clans will mobilize and trigger a noble clan war?" said the Stone Clan's Martial Marquis coldly.

"A clan war? Ha." The Wu Clan's Martial Marquis sneered, "Would the Stone or Zhao clans dare mobilize their entire forces against us? By the time you do, your own strongholds will have been raided."

Clan wars and chaos—every clan has rivals.

If any side showed weakness, they would be ruthlessly bitten.

Thus, they feared not; their opponents could only mobilize limited strength.

Yet the Stone Clan's Martial Marquis remained relaxed. "Do you think it's just our two clans here? Six noble clans from around Changfeng City have arrived. We joined forces before coming; all six will act together. Can you resist?"

As the Wu Clan's Martial Marquis finished speaking, a series of long howls echoed from afar, deep and resonant as tiger roars.

Several figures approached swiftly, appearing among the trees.

One wore a bamboo hat and bore a long sword on his back; another wielded a spear, built like an iron tower; the last was bare-handed, but his palms gleamed like black jade.

Three more Martial Marquis had arrived, each from a different noble clan.

The Wu Clan's two Martial Marquis' faces grew dark, while the Liu Clan's remained inscrutable, their thoughts unreadable.

In fact, Liu Yuansong had not spoken a word since the beginning.

"If you want war, so be it. The Liu and Wu clans defend Changfeng; even if the six clans unite, they may not defeat us. Who will prevail is yet unknown," declared the Wu Clan's Martial Marquis, forceful and unyielding.