Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

The night was as black as ink. In the sparse starlight, the silhouette of Qingyang Commandery City looked particularly somber.

The flying eaves of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion headquarters in the eastern part of the city cast jagged shadows in the moonlight. By day, the five-story wooden building with its carved beams and painted rafters was one of the most bustling places in the Commandery City. Now, however, it was shrouded in a grim, murderous air.

BOOM—!

A muffled explosion suddenly erupted, shattering the silence of the night.

The main gates of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion headquarters exploded under the immense force, sending sawdust and splinters flying everywhere.

Countless dark figures flooded in from outside, like a black torrent from a burst dam.

The man in the lead was tall and powerfully built. He wore a dark gold brocade robe fastened with a wide leather belt, from which hung a long saber.

On his swarthy face, his eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s, flashing with a keen light whenever he blinked.

It was none other than the Gang Leader of the Tiejiang Gang, Qi Zhen.

Behind him, over a hundred figures filed in. All were elites of the Tiejiang Gang, dressed in black martial attire. The weakest among them were still skilled fighters of the Middle Three Grades.

The weapons in their hands glinted coldly in the moonlight. Their steps were steady, their killing intent palpable.

"The Hundred Treasures Pavilion has conspired against the Tiejiang Gang! By order of the Supreme Elder, we are here to purge them!"

Qi Zhen’s voice boomed like muffled thunder in the night sky.

"Leave no one alive!"

As his voice fell, his figure blurred, and he was the first to charge deeper into the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

The dark figures behind him surged forward like a tide. Blades flashed, and the roars of exploding Qi Force rose and fell in succession.

The Hundred Treasures Pavilion headquarters was guarded year-round by Upper Three Grades Martial Artists, and even had a First-Grade Honored Guest in permanent residence.

But now, in the face of the Tiejiang Gang’s sudden assault, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion’s defenses were torn apart as if they were made of paper.

A Sixth Grade guard from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion had just rushed out of a side door when he ran straight into two Fifth Grade disciples from the Tiejiang Gang.

A saber flashed. The guard’s head flew high into the air, and his headless body lurched forward two more steps from inertia before collapsing to the ground.

Three Hundred Treasures Pavilion guards in martial attire stood back-to-back, attempting to form a defensive formation.

But there were too many men from the Tiejiang Gang, and their assault was too ferocious.

In just a few moments, their defensive line was torn apart. Screams echoed through the night, only to be cut short.

Screams, the clash of weapons, and the explosions of Qi Force wove together into a symphony of death at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion headquarters.

Blood spread across the flagstone floor, dyeing the moonlit shadows a deeper black.

The Hundred Treasures Pavilion’s Master, Lan Daoxing, stood on the third floor, gazing down at the Asura-like slaughterhouse below, his face ashen.

He was about fifty, with a refined, scholarly face. He wore a deep blue brocade robe, fastened at the waist with a matching silk sash.

Though over fifty, he was well-preserved and had a healthy complexion, but at this moment, all color had drained from his face.

"Pavilion Master."

A figure swept in from the doorway and landed at his side. His voice was hoarse, filled with an urgency he couldn’t suppress.

He was an elderly man of about sixty, with a thin frame and a gaunt face. His cheekbones were slightly prominent, but his eyes were startlingly bright.

He wore gray martial attire, and a longsword hung at his waist. Its Sword Scabbard was ornate and looked extremely valuable.

This was the Hundred Treasures Pavilion’s First-Grade Honored Guest, Shen Cangsheng.

"The Tiejiang Gang is attacking in force, and they outnumber us! Our men can’t hold on for much longer. Pavilion Master, you must escape through the secret passage at once!"

Shen Cangsheng’s voice was urgent.

Lan Daoxing turned, his gaze falling on Shen Cangsheng’s face. He was silent for a moment before shaking his head.

"There’s no escape."

His voice was hoarse, tinged with a helplessness he was unwilling to admit even to himself.

"Since Qi Zhen dared to come, he must have already found out everything about the secret passage. I’m afraid that route has long been blocked."

Shen Cangsheng opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end, he said nothing.

He knew Lan Daoxing was telling the truth.

The Tiejiang Gang’s attack was clearly premeditated. They had likely already familiarized themselves with every inch of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion headquarters.

’How could the secret passage be an exception?’

BOOM—!

Just then, a loud crash came from downstairs.

A figure strode in through the shattered doorway, his dark gold brocade robe shimmering with a cold luster in the moonlight.

Qi Zhen stood at the foot of the stairs, his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze swept over the ravaged hall, finally landing on the blue-robed figure on the third floor.

"Lan Daoxing."

He spoke. His voice wasn’t loud, yet it reached everyone’s ears with perfect clarity.

"Surrender all of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion’s assets, and the Tiejiang Gang will spare your life."

Lan Daoxing said nothing, only slowly drew the longsword from his waist.

The blade was a pale blue, shimmering with a soft luster in the moonlight.

He was a First Grade Martial Artist.

Though he had lived a life of comfort for many years, his Cultivation was built entirely upon Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. His combat experience was nowhere near that of a First Grade Martial Artist who had clawed their way up through countless battles.

But he was Lan Daoxing, after all—the Pavilion Master of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

He could not bring himself to kneel and beg for mercy, to hand over his ancestral legacy.

"Stubborn fool."

A cold smile touched the corners of Qi Zhen’s lips. His figure blurred, transforming into a streak of dark golden light.

He shot up to the third floor, lunging straight for Lan Daoxing.

Lan Daoxing sank into his stance, gathering Momentum. His robes billowed around him without a breath of wind as the Inner Qi of a First Grade Martial Artist surged like a raging river, pouring entirely into his sword.

With a low cry, he brought his longsword slashing down through the air—

A bolt of pale blue Sword Qi, as condensed as a bolt of silk, tore through the air with a piercing shriek, shooting straight for Qi Zhen.

Qi Zhen didn’t retreat a single step. Instead, he drew his saber with a backhand motion.

The moment the blade left its scabbard, a dark golden Saber Gang erupted from its length. It wasn’t like scattered Qi Force; it was dense and searingly bright, as if it were a solid, forged object.

He swung his arm in a horizontal slash. Wherever the Saber Gang passed, the very air seemed to collapse and burn.

BOOM—

The Sword Qi and Saber Gang collided in midair.

There was no stalemate, only a single, deafening explosion!

The blue Sword Qi shattered on impact, scattering into countless motes of light that gouged deep marks into the floor and walls.

But the dark golden Saber Gang merely dimmed for an instant before continuing forward with unstoppable force.

The aftershock of the Saber Momentum struck the ground first. The solid flagstones didn’t shatter; they were instantly pulverized. A deep trench tore through the floor, extending wildly in the wake of the Saber Gang.

The walls of the buildings on either side, as if struck by an invisible giant blade, began to buckle with a sickening, grinding crack. Doors, windows, beams, pillars, bricks, and stones...

Everything in the path of the Saber Gang’s edge disintegrated, collapsed, and turned to a cloud of rising dust.

Rubble rained down, only to be caught in the ensuing shockwave and ground into even finer dust.

Before the Saber Gang even reached him, the incomparably sharp wind it generated made Lan Daoxing’s breath catch in his throat. A long tear silently appeared on the front of his robes.

Lan Daoxing’s expression changed dramatically. He poured all of his Inner Qi into his blade without reservation and brought it up in a desperate block.

CLANG—!!!

A deafening crash exploded outward, sending a shower of sparks in all directions.

An immense force, like a flash flood, surged through the sword’s blade. The webbing between Lan Daoxing’s thumb and forefinger instantly split open, and the bones in his right arm groaned under the unbearable strain, the longsword nearly flying from his grasp.

He was thrown backward as if struck by a siege hammer, his feet leaving the ground entirely.

The soles of his shoes scraped violently against the ground, carving out two charred, foot-deep trenches as gravel and dust fanned out to either side like waves.

His momentum unchecked, he slammed backward into a wooden wall thirty feet away—

CRASH!

The thick wooden wall imploded as if it were made of paper, sending splinters flying as a plume of dust shot into the air.

Lan Daoxing let out a muffled grunt. He finally managed to halt his retreat, half-buried in the wreckage, as the coppery taste of blood filled his throat.

Before he could even take a breath, a biting killing intent pierced through the dust.

Qi Zhen’s second strike had arrived.

This strike had no finesse; it was simply faster, heavier, and more brutal!

Before the blade even arrived, the oppressive feeling it gave off was so substantial it made Lan Daoxing’s breath catch. The flow of his qi felt as if it were mired in a swamp, making it impossible to evade.

His eyes bloodshot, he roared and poured the last of his Inner Qi into his arms, swinging his longsword up again in an attempt to intercept the blow.

BAM—!!!

His hurried block was knocked aside, and the body of the saber continued onward, smashing solidly into Lan Daoxing’s hastily protected chest!

The exquisite dark blue brocade robe on Lan Daoxing’s body exploded into countless fluttering fragments, like a cloud of butterflies.

It revealed a suit of form-fitting Soft Armor underneath, which pulsed with a faint blue light.

The surface of the Soft Armor suddenly flared, and countless tiny runes swirled across it, as if trying to channel and disperse the devastating power.

As the light flickered, the armor emitted a sickening CREAK and visibly caved inward. A few faint cracks even appeared at the point of impact.

"Pfft!"

As if struck by lightning, Lan Daoxing was thrown into the air once more, finally unable to hold back a spray of blood.

He crashed through several wooden walls before hitting the ground hard, rolling several times before he managed to prop himself up on his sword, falling to one knee.

A searing pain burned in his chest, as if he were on fire. A tyrannical Hidden Force had clearly penetrated the Soft Armor’s defenses and damaged his internal organs.

He coughed violently, flecks of bloody foam coming up with every gasp.

If not for this precious High-Grade Magical Soldier—the Soft Armor—resisting the vast majority of the impact, that last blow would have been enough to shatter his ribcage and kill him on the spot.

’The situation is dire. Even Honored Guest Shen is locked in a desperate battle!’

Forcing himself steady, Lan Daoxing quickly scanned the battlefield to assess the situation. His heart instantly turned to ice.

The Hundred Treasures Pavilion’s guards and Stewards were falling one by one under the Tiejiang Gang’s assault.

Even Shen Cangsheng, a First Grade Martial Artist, was locked in a bitter struggle, entangled with Han Kui, a First-Grade Elder of the Tiejiang Gang whom Qi Zhen had brought with him.

The Tiejiang Gang’s First-Grade Elder, Han Kui, was a burly man of about fifty.

He wore black martial attire and wielded a Thick-Backed Machete. His Saber Technique was ferocious and domineering, each slash carrying Mountain-Splitting Stone-Shattering momentum.

Most importantly, the Cultivation he displayed had already reached the Middle Stage of First Grade, and was approaching the Late Stage.

Although Shen Cangsheng’s Swordsmanship was exquisite, he was only at the Early First Grade. Faced with that torrential Saber Momentum, he was hard-pressed to defend himself and could barely hold on.

After only a few moments of combat, the blade had already grazed his left shoulder, leaving a wound from which blood was beginning to seep.

’I’m afraid we won’t make it out of this alive today. Fortunately...’

Despair washed over Lan Daoxing, but it was followed by a flash of relief in his eyes.

He was relieved that his three sons and one daughter were not at the headquarters, but were away managing the various branches of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

’If they’re clever enough to go into hiding, they should be able to escape this disaster.’

"Lan Daoxing, you still have the luxury of letting your mind wander at a time like this?"

Qi Zhen’s cold sneer sounded from right in front of him.

Lan Daoxing snapped back to his senses, only to see a flash of dark golden light already upon him.

He dodged with all his might but was still grazed on the left shoulder by the Saber Qi. He staggered backward, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.