‘…Martial Masters can unlock Stars in the single digits, Martial Grandmasters and above can unlock Stars in the double digits, while Martial Arhats can unlock Stars in three digits. Martial Kings are on another level.’

Lu Sheng fetched a piece of paper and drew a simple diagram of the human body with meridian points. He made some rough notations for where the Stars were.

‘Martial Kings would’ve unlocked hundreds of Stars. They’d leave some spirit marks in every Star from which they can draw explosive power with greater swiftness.’

He drew several lines on the human body, which represented the meridian and blood vessels.

‘Then, it’s the Martial Emperor tier. Martial Emperors can unlock thousands of Stars and leave some spirit marks in each Star as well. Once they activate their methods, their Qi and blood would connect with the thousands of Stars and unleash unparalleled powers exceeding those of ordinary men. Interesting… Martial Emperors can possess the strength of 100 elephants. If I feel it carefully, it’s almost the same level as a Weapon Master. It’s just that their combat powers are monotonous when compared to a Weapon Master.’

Lu Sheng attempted to study and sense what these Stars were.

In the beginning, he thought that they were meridian points. However, when he took a closer look at them with his spirit, he noticed that they were not.

They were not meridian points, nor were they nodes of his energy channels or nodes of his veins. They might not even be something associated with his physical body.

He spent the whole night fiddling with the idea, yet he could not learn anything about it.

It was clear that the concept of Stars was the most fundamental secret of this world. Although he could not understand it now, he was not frustrated.

He was sure that the news of Tang Qingqing’s return would have reached his father, Pang Yuanjun, by now. He was waiting for Pang Yuanjun’s reaction.

Pang Yuanjun would surely return to the branch altar to investigate this out of curiosity. Lu Sheng planned to take him down then.

However, before that, he was not sure that he could take down Pang Yuanjun head-on with his current strength.

This was why he had been working hard to cultivate these few days.

Although he had come to this world merely to gather Mental Energy, he would have to settle his karma and wishes. It was not every day that he could get such easy wishes and karma. If he could not even settle this, it would be too much of a waste.

Throughout the next few days, Lu Sheng began planning on taking over the branch altar.

After controlling the branch altar, he planned to forcibly derive the Straggling Star Path Toad Method. He wanted to see what he would be able to derive with his martial path’s knowledge.

***

1000 miles away. Feng Family Villa.

Thick plumes of smoke formed back lines as they floated away slowly from a huge and imposing fortress in the distance. They lingered in the air, staining the clear layers of cloud light gray.

Four huge flags were erected on the four sides of the fortress. The flags bore the character “Feng” as they flapped in the air.

Several hundred meters away from the fortress, the initially flat ground covered in white ash, charred pits, and dark red spots of blood could be seen.

Broken weapons, shields, and fired arrows could be seen scattered everywhere. This was the most common sight on this battlefield.

“There’s four hours to nightfall. I’m afraid we’ll be going back without having achieved anything again today.”

Pang Yuanjun looked at the black fortress of the Feng Family Villa in the distance. His brows were tightly knitted together. He was feeling irritable.

He appeared to be a middle-aged man with a balanced build.

He had handsome looks and an icy cold air. His hands were covered in black leather gloves, two jagged knives hung on his waist, and a green cloak with black lining was draped over his dark olive combat attire. The edges of his furred cloak moved slightly in the wind. It was clear at a glance that he was the person with the highest office on this battlefield.

A man and a woman, both big, tall, and strange looking, stood behind Pang Yuanjun.

The man had blonde hair and fierce features. He was at least 60 years old. A huge longbow was slung over his back, and a quiver of arrows hung on his waist. With his arms hanging by his side, it was as if he could fire an arrow at the slightest notice. He was Pang Yuanjun’s trusted helper, the Martial Emperor Yuan Shijian.

The woman had a pale eye, which was clearly blind. Her body was sculpted, and she was exceptionally voluptuous. She clearly had big bones, but her generous curves gave the impression that she was peculiarly balanced in a fit sort of way. She looked like a jaguar that roamed the forests.

This was the person whom Pang Yuanjun trusted the most. She was also his capable assistant, the Origin Breaker Liu Huanzhuang.

Currently, Liu Huanzhuang was holding a black messenger pigeon. She detached the letter from the pigeon’s leg and opened it to read.

“It bears the mark of the branch altar. The Clear Dew City’s branch where Sicheng’s at,” she added.

“Sicheng? What does it say?” Yuan Shijian spoke.

Pang Sicheng’s own father, Pang Yuanjun, was uninterested. He did not even look in their direction. His gaze was still on the black fortress in the distance.

Liu Huanzhuang quickly read the letter’s contents. Her face scrunched up in a peculiar expression.

“It says that the boy Sicheng had found madam Tang Qingqing, who’s now at the branch altar. They’re now waiting at Clear Dew City and are asking you, Yuanjun, to go back and have a look.”

“Tang Qingqing? The Taiyi Path’s Hequan Sect wants to meddle in this as well?” Pang Yuanjun immediately frowned.

“I think that this might not be the intention of the Hequan Sect…” Liu Huanzhuang shook the letter, her face twisting even more. “This was handwritten by Sicheng. He said that Tang Qingqing is captivated by you and had sought him out, begging him to bring her back… Your son also said that Tang Qingqing was threatening to die. Feeling helpless, he had no choice but to drug and bind her to limit her freedom so that it won’t become a tragedy…”

“Uh… Was Tang Qingqing ever such an emotional person?” Yuan Shijian was immediately stunned.

“That matters not. Feng Family Villa’s fall is at hand. I’d be damned if my great Green Dew Altar army can’t even conquer a small Feng Family Villa!” A streak of ruthlessness flashed across his steely expression.

He waved his great arm.

“Tell the men that we’ll lay a continuous siege on the fortress at first light! Activate the thing that we brought as well!”

“Are we going to use that?” Liu Huanzhuang’s expression grew grim.

“If we’re using that, there won’t be any problem this time. However, to use it this early on…” said Yuan Shijian hesitantly.

“It’s alright. We’ll launch an all-out attack. I’d like to see how long this Feng Family Villa can stand.” A brutal look appeared in Pang Yuanjun’s eyes.

Pang Yuanjun was brimming with natural endowment and a strategic mind. He was at his prime with ambition to spare. He wanted to foil Mu Fo’s so-called prediction. Moreover, he was on the brink of a breakthrough in his cultivation base. He could attain the peak Martial Emperor tier at any moment.

Hence, he could wipe out an entire clan while he went on his campaign. All he needed was an excuse. He was so domineering that even the three great sects could not say anything against him.

There were no Martial Monarchs in the three great sects as well. At most, there were the peak Martial Emperors, but they had more of them compared to the 16 clans. On the surface, it appeared as if the three sects’ strength was superior to the 16 clans’, but the individual strengths of the leaders of the 16 sects might not necessarily be weaker than theirs.

Martial Monarchs were rare to come by. There were only two who’d left any sort of legend in the martial world. However, the two of them had never joined any organization. They were like the solitary cloud and wild crane, only showing their faces every now and then.

Pang Yuanjun embarked on his campaign partly to foil the prediction, and partly to collect other cultivation methods. He wanted to increase the number of Stars of his Yuanjun Skills.

Early on the second morning.

The black army around the Feng Family Villas pushed some thick and huge black cylinders through their ranks.

There were wheels attached to these objects. They looked heavy.

Then, they loaded them with cannonballs and ignited the gunpowder. “Boom!”

Fireballs soared through the air and crashed mercilessly into the walls. The Feng Family Villa’s fortress shook violently.

The firing of cannons continued into the afternoon, and the walls finally crumbled. The cannons they’d brought were now useless. After all the continuous usage under high heat, it was fortunate they had not blown up in their faces.

With the advantage given by the cannons, the outer walls of the Feng Family Villas finally fell. Pang Yuanjun and the others rounded up their troops and began the battle for the fortress wall.

“Kill them!” Pang Yuanjun gazed at the melee on the fortress wall which was reaching its climax. Corpses from both sides dropped off the fortress wall like dumplings.

Gunsmoke filled the air. Although their cannons were useless now, they had taken the outer wall. If they could take over the inner fortress, it would be their victory.

At this moment, white figures with short-handled axes charged up. They were like tigers charging into a flock of sheep. With their overpowering strength, they were practically unstoppable.

However, Pang Yuanjun and the others were thrilled instead of surprised.

“The personal guards of the Blade King are finally out! This is Feng Family Villa’s final force for retaliation! If we defeat them, victory is ours!”

Pang Yuanjun was laughing heartily.

“Shall we have a contest?” Liu Huanzhuang looked at Yuan Shijian.

“You’re still not convinced?” Yuan Shijian was also in a good mood. He stroked his beard and laughed.

The two of them exchanged glances with smiles on their faces and made their moves with a swoosh.

Pang Yuanjun took a step back, raised his right arm and brought it back down.

“Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!”

Masked men in black combat attire shot out from behind him and charged toward the inner wall.

The situation on the battlefield changed swiftly. With fresh troops joining the fray from the Green Dew Altar’s side, the white Feng Family Villas men fell like an avalanche. Many of them lost their lives over a short moment of time.

“Pang Yuanjun!”

“Boom!”

Suddenly, a huge rock catapulted into the air from within the walls. It collided with Liu Huanzhuang, who had just killed two people, and she reeled, her face red from the impact, and crashed into the fortress wall.

“Hahahaha! The Northern Blade King Feng Shanhe! You’ve finally shown yourself!” Pang Yuanjun could see him from afar. Yet, he threw his head back in laughter and drew his sword.

“Swoosh!”

At this moment, a big and tall figure suddenly appeared before him.

“Cheng’er?” Pang Yuanjun was stunned. He immediately recognized this person to be his son, Pang Sicheng.

“What’re you doing here?! Go back! This isn’t some place where you should be!”

Lu Sheng’s expression was calm.

“Father, I’m here to bring you home. Mother has already changed her mind. You’re all that’s left.”

“Back home?” Pang Yuanjun narrowed his eyes. He could not explain why, but there was something off about his son’s words.

“Alright, get out of my way. We’ll talk about your mother after I’m done with this battle.” He raised his sword and leapt toward the inner wall with lightning speed.

However, Lu Sheng leapt into the air in an instant as well. He mysteriously blocked his way.

“Move away!” Pang Yuanjun was angered.

“That’s enough, Father. Follow me back and be reunited with your family.” Lu Sheng was looking helpless.

“Scram!” Pang Yuanjun struck out his right palm with lightning speed. With a force of 500 elephants, he aimed it at Lu Sheng’s shoulder.

Even if it was his son, he wanted him to understand that war was not child’s play.

“Don’t force me to hit you!” Lu Sheng dodged his palm strike.

When Pang Yuanjun’s palm missed, he immediately felt that something was wrong. He knew about Pang Sicheng’s cultivation base better than anyone else. Could this man who resembled his own son not be Pang Sicheng?

“Yuanjun First Skill!”

“Boom!” An invisible blade shot past Lu Sheng. It nearly avoided his head.

“You’re still at it?!” Lu Sheng barely finished his sentence when he dodged to the left again.

“Yuanjun Second Skill!”

Dozens of blade gleams surrounded him and came at him from all directions.

“Don’t force me!” Lu Sheng slipped past the openings with lightning speed.

“Yuanjun Fourth Skill! Fifth Skill!” A silver dragon-like blade gleam charged toward him.

“Sixth Skill! Seventh Skill!” Pang Yuanjun’s expression was ice-cold. He continued slashing away with his sword without waiting to see the outcome. The blade gleams shone like mirrors as they shot at Lu Sheng.

“Ninth Skill! Tenth—”

“F*ck your skills! Your son will hit a person when he’s mad!”

Lu Sheng was finally enraged. He instantly grabbed Pang Yuanjun’s ankle and hurled him down.

“Boom!”

Pang Yuanjung’s head crashed onto the fortress wall which was more than three meters thick.

Pang Yuanjun fainted on the spot.

“Don’t you think that I won’t hit you just because you’re my dad!” Lu Sheng spat. He dragged Pang Yuanjun behind him as he leapt away.