The Modern Martial Immortal

Chapter 104: The Return

In addition to Jiang Banzi, the unified martial paragon presiding over the meeting, Lei Ting of the Stellar Sanctum, Imperial Preceptor Zuo Wendao, and Imperial Uncle Jiang Zhenwu were also present.[1]

Furthermore, Jiang Bairen, the true anchor of the Jiang family who wielded their only piece of high-tier armor, was also attending remotely.

These individuals were sufficient to represent the absolute top echelon of the Jiang family and the imperial capital. A meeting of this caliber was one that even Qi Renjie or the heads of the twelve great noble families were normally not qualified to attend.

"Was it really a heavenly being?" Jiang Bairen’s gaze turned toward Lei Ting.

"It is possible they possessed combat power approaching that of a heavenly being through some secret technique. It is also possible they are a heavenly being but held back their full strength out of concern for our Jiang family’s influence within the Artifact Sect. There is one more possibility..." Lei Ting said in a low voice, "The Rebirth Society."

The Rebirth Society! These three words caused the hearts of everyone present to sink. Even though the Rebirth Society had not engaged in direct conflict with the Crimson Star Empire at this moment, the pressure they brought upon the Jiang family was even greater than that of the Snowdragon Empire. The Snowdragon Empire at least shared a common origin; despite their differences, there were still bottom lines in their struggles, and they would not completely tear each other apart.

But the Rebirth Society... If the news was true, they were a hostile force to the Artifact Sect. Once hostilities began, it was likely that only one side would survive. Moreover, the combat power of those from the Rebirth Society could not be measured by surface-level strength.

Some grandmasters, relying on exquisite martial techniques and extremely rich combat experience, could often exert martial-paragon-tier power. Martial paragons could use such means to rival psychic-will martial paragons. Moving up the scale, it seemed reasonable that a unified martial paragon could use secret methods to display power nearly equivalent to a heavenly being.

"So, do you believe the reason the Rebirth Society has suddenly become so quiet recently is that they are preparing to strike at us?" Jiang Banzi asked, his eyes filled with solemnity.

"Wait, based on that person's actions, they should be a member of the World-Saving Society. How did the Rebirth Society get involved?" Jiang Zhenwu asked, somewhat puzzled.

"The World-Saving Society?" Lei Ting sneered. "If they truly had that kind of capability, I wouldn't have wiped them out so easily last time. Besides, many members of the World-Saving Society have already defected to us. Based on the intelligence they provided, I am perfectly aware of the World-Saving Society's strength."

The others nodded in deep agreement.

"But it doesn't make sense. If it were truly someone from the Rebirth Society acting to trigger internal strife within our imperial family, why would they use the World-Saving Society as a cover? They know very well that we wouldn't fall for it," Jiang Zhenwu remarked.

His words caused the room to fall into silence. They had no answer.

"In fact, the answer might not be as complicated as we think. The World-Saving Society could actually possess such power." Zuo Wendao, the imperial preceptor, spoke up.

The crowd was slightly startled, and Jiang Bairen’s gaze fell upon him.

"Tell us your hypothesis." He knew the imperial preceptor was famous for his rigorous thinking.

"The reason we excluded the World-Saving Society was that, according to our information, they are indeed insignificant. But in reality... I have reviewed Lei Ting’s summary of the World-Saving Society files. In those records, one person was overlooked."

"Who?" Jiang Bairen asked.

"Su Yaoguang." Zuo Wendao replied.

"Hmm!?" As soon as he said this, everyone in the room showed a strange expression.

"The genius martial paragon who destroyed the Liao family?" Jiang Bairen asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Zuo Wendao nodded.

Lei Ting, Jiang Banzi, and Jiang Zhenwu exchanged looks. After a moment, Lei Ting said, "I admit that Su Yaoguang is indeed exceptionally gifted. His combat power should have reached the level of a psychic-will martial paragon. However, as far as I know, he is not even twenty years old yet. To say he could defeat me in a direct confrontation at that age..."

He gave a light chuckle. "I am afraid even the direct disciples of the elders in the Artifact Sect might not possess such strength at that age without relying on external help."

"Theoretically, that is true," Zuo Wendao nodded. "But what if Su Yaoguang is the same kind of person as those in the Rebirth Society?"

At these words, the expression on Lei Ting’s face froze. "Are you saying... The Lunar Fiend Empire!?"

"Recently, the Rebirth Society has almost vanished, as if it were the calm before a storm. I ordered an in-depth investigation into them and discovered that the Rebirth Society’s internal members have been trying to find information on Su Yaoguang," Zuo Wendao explained.

Zuo Wendao’s expression turned grave. "You should know that those from the Lunar Fiend Empire, whether it is a deliberate disguise or for some other reason, possess an indescribable sense of superiority even when facing us. It feels as if they are looking at the undeveloped natives of this world. Yet, this attitude is an exception when it comes to Su Yaoguang. Toward him..."

He paused. "They're almost treating him as one of their own..."

"One of their own!" Instantly, the men recalled various pieces of data regarding Yaoguang. Upon cross-referencing, they discovered that Yaoguang had a lot in common with those fiends and descended beings from the Rebirth Society.

The same sudden change in temperament, the same explosive increase in cultivation after cultivating martial arts, and the same combat power that was far too strong for his supposed level...

"I suspect that Su Yaoguang might be the same kind of life form as those descended beings from the Lunar Fiend Empire. Just as our Artifact Sect is divided into several factions, perhaps Su Yaoguang does not belong to the same camp as the Rebirth Society." Zuo Wendao's hypothesis caused everyone to gasp.

Dealing with the Rebirth Society was already troublesome enough. But now, another new entity similar to the Rebirth Society had infiltrated their world?

"We must investigate this thoroughly!" Jiang Banzi declared without hesitation, "We need to find out whether this Su Yaoguang shares the same origins as the Lunar Fiend Empire. If not, so be it; but if he does, we must quickly determine if he belongs to a vast organization like the Rebirth Society, or if he is merely an individual, like those rogue cultivators who occasionally sneak into our world to stir up trouble. If there is a massive power behind him... it undoubtedly proves that the Artifact-Nurturing World has become full of weak points. If that's the case, we must leave this world and return to Cangwu as soon as possible, no matter what."

His words drew solemn nods of agreement from the members of the Jiang family present.

"I will go personally," Lei Ting said in a low voice. "Allowing the murderer of Shengtian to escape was a dereliction of my duty. Therefore, regardless of who he is, I will personally step forward to settle scores with him."

"You..." Jiang Banzi hesitated.

"Let Lei Ting go," Jiang Bairen intervened. "Take the Crimson Blood Sword. With this pseudo-fiendish artifact combined with Lei Ting’s own armor, he can even threaten a true heavenly being."

Jiang Bairen continued, "But if by some chance..."

"This is already the strongest measure our Jiang family can employ, besides me. If we still cannot deal with him, then all we have left is nuclear weapons. Only the Great Solar Fire remains." Jiang Bairen took a deep breath. "The reason the Rebirth Society has not dared to overstep its bounds until now is their fear of the Great Solar Fire we possess. They do not know if their secret techniques can interfere with its operation. However, any weapon is most powerful before it is used. Once deployed, a way to counter it will eventually be found; it is only a matter of time. Therefore, the Great Solar Fire is our final trump card."

The others understood his point. If they truly resorted to the Great Solar Fire, it would mean that the Crimson Star Empire was at its wits' end. At that point, the Crimson Star Empire would have no choice but to accept reality.

"Focus on the investigation. Do not act rashly without sufficient certainty," Jiang Bairen instructed once more.

"I understand," Lei Ting nodded gravely.

Jiang Banzi could not help but ask, "Is that old stubborn fool Xie Boen still refusing to stop his demands and join us against the Rebirth Society?"

"Their demand... is that our Crimson Star Empire must cede the Northern and Southern Continents," Jiang Bairen replied.

Their hearts sank. Although it was the Jiang family’s fault for clinging to power when the transition period arrived, the problem now was that they could not leave. They were unable to return to the Artifact Sect, and if they ceded the two continents, the Jiang family would inevitably be reduced to a mere vassal of the Xie family.

"Accelerate the progress of the Fiend Lord Plan," Jiang Bairen ordered. "Only by wielding the Five-Emperor Furnace will we truly possess the leverage to make the Snowdragon Empire cooperate with us. At that point, whether we stay or leave will be entirely up to us."

The Five-Emperor Soul-Refining Furnace. Hearing Jiang Bairen mention this object, the crowd bolstered their spirits and nodded in unison. This was the ultimate trump card for the Jiang family's comeback.

***

Yaoguang looked at the relatively smooth asphalt road ahead and the signpost standing by the wayside.

"I'm finally back in Dayu." He let out a light breath. Even as a psychic-will martial paragon, a journey spanning thousands of kilometers was still exhausting.

However, he had no intention of contacting Lei Yun or the others yet. This kind of long-distance journey was itself a form of tempering for the mind. Although he could quickly master all information by relying on the ancient tree, even a student who read ten thousand books would not become a top scientist without enough practice.

The quality of the medicinal materials from the Crimson Star Empire is incredible. After brewing and consuming them according to the formula, my psychic will has stabilized, and my mental energy is increasing... At this rate, I will only need a year to reach the perfection stage of the psychic-will realm, and reaching the mastery stage would only take a few months.

Only by reaching the perfection stage and bringing one's essence, qi, and psyche to a new peak state could one capture that sense of unified, seamless harmony, cultivate the Flawless True Body, and enter the realm of a unified martial paragon.

However, relying on his vast experience, Yaoguang had already forged the Flawless True Body. He could skip the process of feeling the sense of seamless harmony. In fact, as his psychic will grew, he could simultaneously complete its purification.

By maintaining this state, once he reached the mastery stage of psychic-will, he could use the heaven-and-earth furnace to temper himself at all times, rapidly strengthening his physique. Furthermore, because he possessed the Great Earth Furnace secret technique, the time required to complete his physical tempering would be significantly shortened.

As he kept thinking over things, a car pulled up quickly in front of him. Immediately after, a visibly excited Lei Yun hurried to open the door. She stepped toward Yaoguang and gave him a respectful bow. "Young Master, we came to take you home."

1. Imperial preceptor, also known as teacher of the emperor, was a prestigious title that came with substantial power in ancient China. ☜