My Arts Evolve When Perfected

The number of Martial Artists from Xia Country stationed in North Border City wasn’t very large; in total, they were fewer than in any city in the Northwest Province. After all, this was primarily the Belli Family’s territory. The area under Xia Country’s direct management was less than a third of the city.

In the beginning, Xia Country had assisted the Belli Family in building North Border City with the intention of reining in the Three Great Demon Clans of the North Wilderness, preventing them from uniting and migrating south to threaten the Northwest and Northeast Provinces.

And it had indeed worked as intended. North Border City attracted a large number of Independent Cultivator Martial Artists to hunt the Demon Race, and some of its black markets and gathering places even became hubs for inter-clan communication, which did a good job of smoothing over relations between the North Wilderness clans.

It was just that, for some unknown but crucial reason, the Three Great Demon Clans had now united with the intent to attack North Border City...

CREAK.

The door to the command room opened, and Zhu Weiyi’s tall figure appeared in Jiang Qiu’s line of sight. His brow was tightly furrowed. "Jiang Qiu, it’s not just the Three Great Demon Clans surrounding North Border City. We’ve spotted the Eight-headed Snake Clan among them. The situation is not in our favor. I’m afraid this will be a desperate struggle."

"Grandmaster Zhu, are we going to war with the Northern Wilderness Demon Clan and Sang Island?"

Jiang Qiu closed the door, his tone heavy.

’No wonder the Three Great Demon Clans dared to suddenly launch an attack. So the Demon Race from Sang Island is involved.’

Among the known layouts of Demon Race forces in the world, the most powerful near Xia Country were the Kunlun Demon Clan, the Sang Island Demon Clan, the South Mountain Demon Clan, and the North Sea Demon Clan.

Sang Island may be small, but it undeniably possessed Demon Kings and had even inherited the legacy of a Demon Emperor. They had integrated the original inhabitants of Sang Island into their own system, making their forces incredibly powerful.

North Border City’s combat strength was no match for the Northwest Province’s. It had maintained a delicate balance with the Three Great Demon Clans, but now, with such a powerful group joining the fray, it was highly likely the city would be severely damaged, if not completely overthrown.

"Yes. What comes next is a bloody battle." Zhu Weiyi’s gaze was sharp, his every word firm and resolute. "Although most of North Border City isn’t Xia Country’s land, the ground beneath our feet belongs to Xia Country. If this place falls, it means the Northern Wilderness Demon Clan will be unified, and the entire northern border of Xia Country will face a massive threat.

The Freshmen Tournament can no longer continue. I have already ordered all students from Northwest Martial University to retreat here. From now on, we can only defend the city and wait for reinforcements from Xia Country..."

After explaining the situation, Zhu Weiyi placed a large, rough hand on Jiang Qiu’s shoulder, his gaze as deep as a candle in the dark night. "You are the strongest of Northwest Martial University’s new generation. A Dharma Realm expert of your age is unheard of in the entire university. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

After I leave for the front lines, I hope you can watch over the Martial Arts University students here as much as possible and hold down the rear."

In less than a year of studying martial arts, he had successively gained power, comprehended intent, severed the Dao, and manifested a Dharma Aspect. His progress could no longer be described with worldly praise.

Though young, he was already a genius Martial Artist of the Dharma Realm.

Those who built their lives on martial arts were called Martial Artists, and they had to bear their responsibilities.

Jiang Qiu was not just a first-year student at Northwest Martial University; he was also the Dharma Realm genius who had taken the top spot in the Freshmen Tournament. Having entered the Dharma Realm, he was expected to be a bastion of strength, capable of holding a pass against all odds.

His eyes burned like torches as he replied with sincerity, "I will not fail you, Grandmaster Zhu!"

"Good!"

Zhu Weiyi clapped Jiang Qiu firmly on the shoulder again, then casually took an array disc-like object from his Storage Ring, his expression filled with killing intent. "You once stormed an arena for your former high school teacher. I trust your character. This is a Hundred Machines Spiritual Treasure, the Domain Disc. It contains the Dao of the Realm I comprehended upon entering the Grandmaster Realm. You only need to channel Spirit Charm into it to activate it.

If things go as expected, Martial Artists from Sang Island will definitely sneak into North Border City to carry out assassinations. That Sakai Yoshiei, in particular, might even summon powerful experts to target you.

Those people from Sang Island are petty and vindictive scoundrels. If you run into trouble, you can activate this disc. It will instantly deploy a Realm that can trap almost any Martial Artist or demon who has not reached the Grandmaster Realm, and it will suppress their power..."

RING RING RING~

A ringing phone interrupted Zhu Weiyi. His brow darkened as he answered it, and his eyes suddenly flew wide. "Three Demon Kings have gathered, and the old man from the Belli Family can’t hold them?!"

"I’m on my way!"

The call ended quickly. Zhu Weiyi solemnly entrusted the Domain Disc to Jiang Qiu. His figure transformed into a blue meteor that shot toward the window. With a CRASH of shattering glass, he vanished into the sky, his killing intent soaring.

Staring at the fading light of his departure, Jiang Qiu took a deep breath. His gaze shifted to the Domain Disc in his hands, which felt as heavy as a mountain, yet was thick and exquisitely crafted.

Activating his Dragon Eye, he could observe the device’s masterfully engineered structure and the principles of the Great Dao operating within it.

For a Soldier Cultivator Martial Artist, comprehending a Mental Realm was enough to be called a Grandmaster. But to grasp the mysteries of a Realm was to be a true Grandmaster, some of whom could single-handedly fight several experts of the same rank without being defeated.

The profound mystery of a Realm could not be easily grafted onto a so-called Hundred Machine Creation. This Domain Disc must have been commissioned by Grandmaster Zhu at great personal cost and effort.

’Looks like Sang Island is deeply involved in North Border City’s crisis,’ Jiang Qiu thought as he put away the Domain Disc. He looked out through the shattered window and broken wall at the gray-white sky, his eyes bloodshot. ’If only I could have killed Sakai Yoshiei back then!’

He quickly exited the command room, hurrying past screaming pedestrians on his way to the towering Xia Country Hotel.

The immediate priority was Luring the students of Northwest Martial University. Although most were not in North Border City, some were not far and could be called back.

After finding Ice Lotus and giving her some instructions, Jiang Qiu was approached by the only other Grandmaster remaining in the rear, a man named Wang, to discuss battle preparations.

「Half a day passed in a flash.」

The residents of the Xia Country Management District had settled down, and some Martial Artists from Xia Country accepted missions to fight on the front lines. The areas outside the Xia Country Management District, however, were still in chaos. In some places, intense ideological conflicts had even broken out.

One faction insisted on opening the city gates and negotiating with the Demon Race!

After all, most of the Independent Cultivators in North Border City lacked a complete Cultivation System. Their Realm was derived from demon bloodlines, and they themselves possessed demonic characteristics, much like Ice Lotus.

"Things are getting troublesome. If the Belli Family can’t hold the line, the northern gate of North Border City might be opened, and the urban area will become part of the battlefield."

Grandmaster Wang’s brow was deeply furrowed, his frost-white sideburns fluttering in the wind. His cloudy eyes reflected a projected map of North Border City, on which a large area to the north was a chaotic mix of colors, indicating the intensity of the Spirit Charm fluctuations.

Jiang Qiu stood silently to the side, his fists burning with heat.

The members of the Belli Family also had Demon Qi, though it was purer and less foul.

’There was no guarantee that someone within their family wouldn’t betray the city.’

RING RING RING...

His phone rang. Jiang Qiu pulled it out and saw it was a message from Lin Wei.

[Lin Wei: Jiang Divine, a large number of Sang Island Martial Artists are gathering at the first major Settlement outside the south gate of North Border City. That Sakai Yoshiei is there too!]