Cultivating for Immorality: I Evolved Martial Arts into the Immortal Path – Chapter 85

Chapter 85: The Arrival of the Green Robe Gang

As night fell, a cool breeze blew gently.

Ye Long had left.

Instead of returning to the martial arts hall, he went to the Martial Alliance and announced the competition that would take place three months later.

As a master with four strands of Qi and Blood, and the Hall Master of a martial arts hall, he had many friends in the Martial Alliance.

He had even guided many newcomers in the Martial Alliance.

His influence was no less than Qi Hai’s, perhaps even greater.

“Listen up, everyone!”

Ye Long sat in the main hall of the Martial Alliance and spoke loudly.

“Three months from now, my eldest disciple and my youngest disciple, Qi Xiuliang, will have a competition. One will attack, and the other will defend. When the time comes, I invite you all to witness it!”

“Hall Master Ye, didn’t Qi Xiuliang refuse to be your disciple?” Song Zhong asked.

“I’ve already acknowledged him, whether he agrees or not is irrelevant!”

“This…”

Song Zhong fell silent, not speaking further.

The other martial artists around were also used to Ye Long’s temperament and let him say what he wanted.

With his announcement, the news quickly spread.

Before long, the news reached Qi Hai’s ears.

“Hmph! A competition in three months? It’s going to be a big joke!”

He snorted coldly, not paying much attention.

Xu Hua, standing nearby, said cautiously, “Master, what if…”

“There are no ‘what ifs.’ Just focus on practicing your sword!”

“Yes, sir.”

Xu Hua didn’t dare to say more and lowered his head.

In the depths of the Black Sword Martial Arts Hall, in a courtyard, Hall Master Qi Hong stood with his hands behind his back.

Beside him, Manager Wang Luo was reporting the news.

“Hall Master, could it be that Chu Liang really obtained a superior sword technique?” Wang Luo was a little worried. Although he knew it was most likely false, he feared the possibility!

What if that sword technique was even better than the 《Sinking Water Sword》?

The 《Sinking Water Sword》 was the signature technique of the Black Sword Martial Arts Hall. If even their signature technique was inferior to a saber user’s swordsmanship, it would be a laughingstock.

“What’s the hurry? We’ll know in three months.”

Hall Master Qi Hong’s expression remained unchanged. He said to Wang Luo, “Go to the Autumn Blade Martial Arts Hall and return all the silver taels Qi Xiuliang spent on his training over the years. Express the Black Sword Martial Arts Hall’s apologies to him.”

“Yes, I’ll go right away.”

Wang Luo turned and left.

He went to the Autumn Blade Martial Arts Hall, found Qi Xiuliang, and returned over a thousand taels of silver to him.

Qi Xiuliang initially refused, but Wang Luo said it was the Hall Master’s intention, and refusing it would be disrespectful to the Hall Master.

He had no choice but to accept it.

With this money, he could walk a smoother path in the future.

“Little Qi, train hard. If you truly have a superior sword technique, make sure to make a name for yourself with it!”

Wang Luo patted Qi Xiuliang’s shoulder in encouragement.

He smiled and said, “I’d really like to see Master Qi Hai kneel.”

“Brother Wang, I’ll do my best.”

“Yes, do your best, but don’t push yourself too hard.”

With that, Wang Luo left.

Qi Xiuliang held the thousand-plus taels of silver notes, watching Wang Luo’s departing figure, his heart unable to calm down for a long time.

He returned to the martial arts hall and sat in his room for a while, still unable to calm down.

So he found Chu Liang, who was practicing his saber, and proposed, “Brother Chu, how about we spar a little?”

“Sure, I was thinking the same thing!”

Chu Liang smiled and accepted the invitation.

He switched to an ordinary horizontal saber issued by the martial arts hall and suppressed his strength to the level of two strands of Qi and Blood.

Qi Xiuliang also switched to an ordinary long sword.

Then, Chu Liang’s figure flashed, appearing like a ghost under the moonlight, instantly appearing in front of Qi Xiuliang. He raised his saber and struck, swift as lightning!

With a swish, the blade arrived!

Qi Xiuliang was secretly surprised, not expecting the saber to be so fast. He hurriedly changed his stance and narrowly managed to block it.

Clang!

The saber and sword collided, the sound crisp and clear.

Next, Chu Liang continued to attack, executing the “Fierce,” “Swift,” and “Unorthodox” styles, transforming them into countless saber movements, sometimes fast, sometimes dangerous, the saber momentum continuous and unpredictable.

Qi Xiuliang was overwhelmed, only able to defend and unable to counterattack.

This wasn’t a spar; it was a beating!

What he didn’t know was that after the fight started, Chu Liang had further suppressed his strength to around one strand of Qi and Blood, controlling his speed and power.

If he hadn’t suppressed his strength, Qi Xiuliang would have already lost.

◈◈◈

“Clang——!”

Another collision.

The saber and sword clashed, and Chu Liang used the force to fly back, landing steadily more than ten meters away.

He smiled, sheathed his saber, and said, “Brother Qi, I’m tired. How about we call it a day?”

“Alright, let’s call it a day!”

Qi Xiuliang wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face pale.

He looked at Chu Liang and saw that he hadn’t broken a sweat, and his breathing was much more stable than his own, not looking like he had just fought.

“Brother Chu, how much of your strength did you use?” Qi Xiuliang couldn’t help but ask. He knew Chu Liang had been holding back and hadn’t used his full strength.

“Seventy percent, I’d say.” Chu Liang said with a smile.

“Really seventy percent?”

“Maybe less, hard to say, could be sixty percent.”

“……”

In fact, Chu Liang estimated that he might have used less than ten percent of his strength.

It was too easy.

Qi Xiuliang was skilled in defense. If it had been someone else, they would have fared even worse.

He sighed silently, put away his long sword, and after this spar, realized the gap between them.

“Don’t be discouraged.”

Chu Liang smiled and comforted him, “Once you learn that 《Pine and Bamboo Sword》, your strength will definitely improve greatly. You might even be able to defeat a martial artist with three strands of Qi and Blood with only two strands.”

“Thank you, Brother Chu.”

“You’re welcome.”

Chu Liang hung the horizontal saber on the wall and went to get some tea.

Just as he was about to chat with Qi Xiuliang over tea, a voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard, “Chu Liang, the people from the Green Robe Gang are here. Come out with me.”

“Hall Master?”

Chu Liang’s expression shifted slightly. He naturally recognized this voice.

He opened the courtyard gate.

Outside the courtyard, Hall Master Li Ren was dressed in black, his figure upright, his aura steady, looking like an unsheathed treasure saber.

“Hall Master.” Chu Liang cupped his hands in greeting.

“Yes, come with me.”

Li Ren turned and walked ahead.

Chu Liang followed behind him.

Li Ren said, “The Green Robe Gang has been investigating that matter lately. You should know, they’ve already ruled out most targets, leaving only you and some targets from the black market.”

“I know,” Chu Liang said.

“You’re quite strong. If you catch them off guard, killing those ten or so people is normal.” Li Ren wouldn’t treat Chu Liang as an ordinary martial artist with two strands of Qi and Blood. He knew Chu Liang was definitely hiding a lot of his strength.

But he wouldn’t pry.

Having hidden strength was a good thing. It was a kind of trump card.

When necessary, the more trump cards, the better.

“The Green Robe Gang has made quite a move this time. They’ve brought many people,” Li Ren continued, “but they’re just a bunch of nobodies, just for show! You don’t need to say much, just deny it.”

“Yes!”

The two walked quickly, and the main gate was already in sight.

Outside the gate, torches burned, illuminating the long street outside the martial arts hall.

As Hall Master Li Ren said, the Green Robe Gang had come in force, with at least a hundred people.

They were dressed in blue robes, holding torches in one hand and weapons in the other, their expressions cold as they surrounded the entrance of the martial arts hall.

Inside the hall, the three masters were present, along with some skilled disciples.

The two sides faced each other, the atmosphere extremely tense.

It seemed as if a single misstep could lead to a fight.

“Whoosh——”

The night wind picked up, cold and biting, howling as it blew.

Li Ren and Chu Liang walked past the disciples and stepped outside, standing between the two groups.

Before the Green Robe Gang could make a move, Li Ren suddenly spoke.

His expression was calm, ignoring the hundred or so Green Robe Gang members. He turned to Chu Liang and said, “Don’t be nervous. Just answer casually. That Green Robe Gang Leader wouldn’t dare to make a move against our martial arts hall. He’s also a saber user, quite skilled, but if he dares to draw his saber against me… If I win, he dies!”