To the east of Pingshui County is the Eagle Sigh Mountain Range, meaning that even eagles sigh when they see the mountains here.
The Eagle Sigh Mountain Range is full of towering peaks and steep ridges, with ten-step ravines, hundred-step mountain ranges, and thousand-step cliffs.
Many bandit dens are located here. Warhorses are useless in this terrain, making it very suitable for escaping and hiding.
Under the guidance of a noble, Jiang Ping'an was currently galloping towards the Eagle Sigh Mountain Range.
The soldiers behind him dared not pursue too closely, only feigning pursuit, fearing they would be killed.
As the Eagle Sigh Mountain Range came into view, a burst of wild laughter erupted from behind him.
"Haha, my luck is truly good! I gave up searching for you and returned to the city, only to find you were right there!"
A burly man riding a black warhorse appeared. His horse was extremely fast, outstripping the ordinary pursuers behind, and rapidly closing in on Jiang Ping'an.
"You stinking brat, hand over your Opportunity, and I'll give you a quick death!"
The burly man grew increasingly excited.
Jiang Ping'an glanced at the opponent's armor and attire; it was the same as Cui Xiao's.
This person was also a Captain, but he didn't know exactly how strong he was.
Captains also had Ranks; the weakest were equivalent to Qi Cultivation third layer, and the strongest were Qi Cultivation fifth layer.
Watching the opponent get closer and closer, Jiang Ping'an's expression darkened.
He couldn't escape.
He suddenly grabbed the reins, stopped his horse, and dismounted.
"I surrender."
The rough-looking strong man was stunned by this. He surrendered just like that?
Seeing the opponent approach, Jiang Ping'an pulled out three Spirit Stones from his Pregnant and threw them on the ground. "I surrender. This is all I have."
The rough-looking strong man looked down.
At the same time, Jiang Ping'an drew his long saber and fiercely swung it at the rough-looking strong man.
"Clang~"
The two sabers collided, sending sparks flying.
"Haha, you idiotic brat, do you think I'm as foolish as that idiot Cui Xiao?"
The burly man laughed wildly, his thick hand gradually exerting force, pushing Jiang Ping'an back.
Jiang Ping'an's face changed drastically; this man was stronger than Cui Xiao!
The web of his hand was torn and bleeding, and the muscles in his arm felt as if they had shattered, causing immense pain.
Close combat was indeed where Martial Artists excelled.
Their strengths were not on the same Rank at all!
The burly man grinned menacingly, "Comparing close combat with us Martial Artists? Truly idiotic."
Jiang Ping'an's saber was pressed by the opponent close to his neck. If the opponent applied any more force, his neck would be cut open!
A green light flashed, instantly deflecting the burly man's saber.
"Watch me break through your defense!" The burly man swung his saber again, with even more force than before.
The young man opposite him was no match for him; defeating him was only a matter of time.
Jiang Ping'an endured the intense pain in his arm and quickly swung his saber to meet the attack.
"It's useless! Phantom Saber!"
A afterimage passed through Jiang Ping'an's saber, striking his protective shield.
"Bang!"
The opponent's saber struck the protective shield again.
However, the opponent made no further Moves.
"Clang~"
The rough-looking strong man's saber fell from his hand.
He clutched his neck tightly, blood continuously spurting from between his fingers.
"Phan... Phantom Saber..."
The man's face was filled with disbelief.
He had cultivated for several years to learn the first layer of Phantom Saber, yet this brat, who had only obtained the "Phantom Saber" a few days ago, could already perform it rudimentary!
A Genius, the opponent was a Martial Arts Genius... Jiang Ping'an slowly retracted his blood-stained saber, panting heavily.
"Although I've only learned the superficial aspects of 'Phantom Saber,' it's enough for a surprise attack."
These past few days, besides improving his Cultivation, he had been studying "Phantom Saber."
Just as these Martial Artists said, close combat was his weakness, so he had to learn close combat techniques.
After five or six days of study, he could only barely produce a faint afterimage. If one observed closely, they wouldn't be fooled.
It was only because the opponent never expected him to use their own Moves against them.
"Plop~"
The rough-looking strong man fell off his horse, lifeless.
Picking up the Spirit Stones from the ground, Jiang Ping'an searched the opponent's body, finding two bottles of Medicinal Pills and a book. He picked up the opponent's saber and quickly rushed into the Eagle Sigh Mountain Range.
Once inside the mountain range, horses became useless, and the combat power of these cavalry would be greatly reduced.
The pursuing soldiers looked at the dead rough-looking strong man, their faces filled with shock.
This Captain was clearly stronger than Cui Xiao, so how could he have been instantly killed?
Could it be that the young man's strength had increased in just five or six days?
They dared not pursue further; fear and the threat of death lingered in their hearts.
This young man was too terrifying.
Jiang Ping'an ran frantically through the mountain range, escaping.
This time, he had only caught a lone opponent. If a group of people of the same Realm came, he would surely die, so he had to run faster.
He ran for an entire day, crossing dozens of mountains and dozens of cliffs, falling into ravines several times. If not for his protective amulet, he might have fallen to his death.
Finally, he stopped by a clear pond with no human traces.
The pond was crystal clear to the bottom, and next to it was a rock crevice that could accommodate two or three people.
Jiang Ping'an cut a tree branch, stuck it into the entrance of the rock crevice to block it, and then squeezed inside.
Ignoring the need for rest, Jiang Ping'an took out his spoils from the treasure basin.
Two bottles of Medicinal Pills, one bottle of Blood Qi Pills, containing three Medicinal Pills. Adding the bottle of Blood Qi Pills he had previously seized, he now had five in total.
These Blood Qi Pills were used for Cultivating Blood Qi and were very expensive. Even a Captain could only receive a maximum of three per month.
There was also a bottle of trauma medicine, used for stopping bleeding.
And a book, the same as the one seized from Cui Xiao, "Blood Qi Art."
Cultivating this art would allow one to become a Martial Artist, increasing Blood Qi and strength.
Touching his scabbing tiger's mouth, Jiang Ping'an pondered for a long time, deciding to Cultivate this art.
Yesterday, when he clashed sabers with that rough man, his tiger's mouth was torn, and his arm was still aching.
If the opponent hadn't expected him to use Phantom Saber, he would never have escaped.
These people's strength was too great. If not for his protective amulet, he didn't know how many times he would have died.
Other Cultivators could breathe fire, control water, manipulate wood... but he could do nothing.
At this stage, increasing his strength and saber skills was the most cost-effective approach.
However, before learning "Blood Qi Art," he needed to make a Breakthrough.
If he duplicated Spirit Stones one more time today, he should be able to Breakthrough.
An hour later, a crisp shattering sound came from within the rock crevice. The surrounding Spiritual Qi surged wildly, and gusts of wind blew past.
Qi Cultivation fourth layer.
The next Breakthrough would require over one hundred and sixty Spirit Stones.
That meant at least sixteen days.
This was only Qi Cultivation fourth layer. As one reached higher Realms, the time and Spirit Stones required would increase.
He heard some old men in the teahouse say that after reaching Foundation Establishment, it wasn't just about having many Spirit Stones to Breakthrough; one also needed a teacher.
Not to mention reaching Foundation Establishment, just Foundation Establishment itself was not simple; it seemed to also require a Medicinal Pill called a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Never mind all that for now. While he had this time, he would Cultivate "Blood Qi Art."
"Blood Qi Art" has three layers. Reaching the first layer is comparable to the strength of Qi Cultivation third layer. Reaching the second layer is equivalent to Qi Cultivation sixth layer. Fully mastering it is equivalent to Qi Cultivation ninth layer.
Of course, this was only in terms of strength level.
If Jiang Ping'an knew magical arts, he could easily deal with these Martial Artists.
After consuming a Blood Qi Pill, Jiang Ping'an felt a flame rising in his stomach. This heat surged from his belly into all his limbs and bones.
He took out his saber, jumped into the nearby pond, and began his saber practice.
Martial Artists are different from Cultivators. Cultivators can Breakthrough by sitting in meditation and performing breathing exercises, but Martial Artists need to temper their bodies, which means fatiguing their bodies.
The clear pond water became murky as Jiang Ping'an entered it.
While he was Cultivating, a group of soldiers poured into the Eagle Sigh Mountain Range.
"We must find him alive or dead! This defiant commoner dared to kill our soldiers; he must be executed!"
"Whoever finds him will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold!"
"Captain is mighty!!"
Motivated by the reward, the many soldiers were high-spirited. They would surely capture this brat!
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