Yin Minjun only felt as if a surge of magma had poured into her dantian, flowing through her meridians and spreading throughout her body.
She tried to draw her sword, but not yet adapted, the blade actually cut directly through the scabbard, emitting a buzzing sound.
Clang—
The longsword sliced through, and the unrestrained true qi left deep marks on the ground.
“This, this.”
Yin Minjun could not believe it for a moment.
Hearing is one thing, seeing is another. Lord Li Miao’s martial arts, based on Deng Boxuan’s letter, were completely different from experiencing them firsthand.
There were indeed methods of transmitting cultivation in the martial world; Jia Yi Divine Skill was one of them. Shaolin’s secret pills for cultivation and the Esoteric Sect’s empowerment could both transfer one’s cultivation to others.
However, all these methods required a huge price. After transmitting cultivation, one would either lose all their martial arts or even die.
Moreover, these methods all had varying degrees of loss. Sacrificing a peak expert could at most create a first-rate one.
Who had ever heard of someone being able to instantly create a “half-step peak expert” while remaining perfectly at ease, not even breaking a sweat?
Li Miao, however, smiled and waved his hand in front of Yin Minjun: “Elder Yin, snap out of it.”
“If we don’t go save them now, people will die.”
“Ah! Yes!”
Yin Minjun reacted, drawing her sword and flashing to Lao Qifeng’s side.
Lao Qifeng only felt a sharp gust of wind beside him, and then someone appeared next to him. The speed was so fast that he almost didn’t have time to react.
“Such Qinggong, was it Lord Li who made a move?”
He thought to himself, turning his head to look at his side, but he was stunned for a moment.
“Elder Yin!?”
Yin Minjun did not speak. She raised her sword, secretly circulated her true qi, and looked at the large beast.
“Wild Goose Returns to Mount Zhurong”!
This sword strike was the most profound and powerful move among the Hengshan Sect’s guardian sword art, “Hengshan Five Divine Swords.”
As the sword struck out, the scattered true qi actually blew down a sky full of falling leaves.
Clang!!—
A single strike to the throat!
Hengshan Swordplay did not pursue overwhelming force like Mount Tai Swordplay, but rather was a sword art that favored unpredictable and elusive movements. It was precisely for this reason that the Hengshan Sect was predominantly female.
But this sword strike was so swift, so sharp!
After cutting through the beast’s throat, its momentum was not exhausted, and it actually severed the tiger’s head, which Lao Qifeng had been fighting for a long time and only managed to inflict superficial wounds!
Lao Qifeng was stunned.
Yin Minjun was the second-in-command of the Hengshan Sect. He had dealt with her many times and had seen her in action before; she was only a mediocre first-rate expert.
How could she suddenly possess such a level of martial arts!?
If the Hengshan Sect had someone of your caliber, why would they need to travel all the way to Qi-Lu to participate in the Five Mountains Alliance Meeting? Wouldn’t it be better to just dominate the Southern Martial World?
“That’s not right.”
In an instant, Lao Qifeng reacted and turned to look at Li Miao.
Li Miao made a shushing gesture to him.
Lao Qifeng understood: “If it’s the work of Lord Li, who single-handedly shattered most of the Ming Cult overnight, then it’s not surprising.”
“Indeed, it’s extraordinary! I just wonder why such a martial artist is only a Thousand Household?”
“Could it be that the imperial court deliberately kept Lord Li hidden to conceal him?”
While he was pondering here, Yin Minjun’s steps did not stop. She flashed to the side of a leopard and unleashed another sword strike, “Crane Soars Over Zicai.”
Just now, she was still unable to adapt to the powerful true qi and had overexerted herself.
But after all, she was a seasoned first-rate expert. After one sword strike, she already somewhat understood her current strength.
This sword directly pierced the leopard’s chest and abdomen, rupturing its heart within its chest cavity, and when she withdrew the sword, a fountain of blood spurted several feet high.
Her steps did not stop. She flashed again to behind a gray wolf that was shoulder-high and thrust out another sword strike.
These beasts, including the Gu Soldiers in Tai’an City that day, were difficult to deal with because of their tough hides and thick flesh. Ordinary first-rate experts couldn’t break their defense in one or two attempts, and combined with their fearless nature and poisonous blood, Wang Hai and others were tied up when dealing with them.
In fact, if they encountered a peak expert, these things would not be of much use.
A peak expert could break through their flesh with a single move, and their fearlessness would actually weaken their defenses against vital points, making it difficult for their spurting blood to get on the peak expert.
Therefore, with Yin Minjun’s addition, the originally precarious situation immediately reversed.
One sword meant one life. The Hengshan Sect’s guardian Qinggong, “Ape Lord’s Somersault Cloud,” was itself a movement technique renowned for its speed in the martial world. When used by Yin Minjun at this moment, it was as swift as lightning and elusive.
Just then, in the forest, a man hidden beneath a tree root felt his Gu worms dying one by one, and his mind wavered.
“How can this be! There are clearly no peak experts here, how can we lose!?”
The death of the Gu worms affected his mind. As his heart pounded rapidly, a trace of blood also spilled from his mouth.
“No, I must not let these people leave alive! Otherwise, my tribe’s heritage will be in danger!”
“Fine, I’ll sacrifice my life here!”
With this thought, the great shaman no longer hesitated. He reached into his embrace to retrieve a poisonous substance, preparing to activate his Gu worms and perish with these martial artists.
But then, he heard a soft “thump” from behind him.
Following that, a chill spread across his chest.
He lowered his head and looked at his chest.
There was a small hole, about the thickness of a thumb, from which blood was now gushing, staining his clothes, flowing onto the ground, and seeping into the soil.
He couldn’t believe it and reached back.
On his back and on the tree trunk, there were two small holes identical to the one on his chest.
“Who…”
His last thought flashed, and he crashed to the ground, twitching a few times before falling silent.
Li Miao withdrew his finger and tucked it into his sleeve.
“Still want to fight to the death? Your heartbeat is leaking out, do you think I can’t hear it?”
“Xuantian Finger is really useful.”
With the great shaman dead, the beasts stiffened abruptly, unable to move for a moment.
Yin Minjun naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity. She continuously unleashed sword strikes, killing them all in a short while.
Everyone was stunned by her performance, and it took them a while to react.
“Elder Yin, you were truly hiding your strength so well!”
“Yes, yes, if not for Elder Yin, who knows how many would have lost their lives.”
“The grace of saving our lives is difficult to repay. Elder Yin, there will surely be a return in the future!”
Everyone praised her, and Yin Minjun knew in her heart that this was not her own achievement. She initially wanted to decline, but then she remembered that Li Miao did not wish to expose his martial arts, so she had to accept.
Surrounded by many experts, Yin Minjun looked through the human wall at Li Miao, who stood to the side with his hands tucked into his sleeves.
Li Miao saw Yin Minjun looking over, smiled, and extended his hand from his sleeve, giving Yin Minjun a thumbs-up.
Yin Minjun’s face actually flushed red for a moment, and she became flustered.
It was Lao Qifeng who noticed Yin Minjun’s embarrassment and clapped his hands: “Alright, everyone, this is not the time to talk.”
“We don’t know if the Miao people have any other tricks up their sleeves. Our sect members outside the tomb are still waiting and must be anxious by now.”
“Let’s go first. After we rendezvous with our sect members, we can discuss other matters.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
