Chapter 26: Half a Step to the Pinnacle

Yin Minjun felt as if a surge of molten lava had poured into her dantian, flowing through her meridians to every corner of her body.

As she attempted to draw her sword, she was caught off guard by the sheer intensity of the power; the blade sliced straight through its scabbard, emitting a sharp, resonant hum.

*Clang!*

The long sword swept through the air, and the uncontrolled internal energy left deep, jagged furrows in the ground.

"This... this is..."

Yin Minjun could hardly believe it. Hearing rumors was one thing, but witnessing them was another. Li Miao’s martial arts, as described in Deng Boxuan’s letters, were a world apart from experiencing this power firsthand.

The world of martial arts was not without techniques for transferring power. The "Wedding Dress Divine Skill" was one such method, and the secret elixirs of the Shaolin Temple or the empowerment rituals of the Esoteric Sect could also pass one's internal energy to another. However, these methods always exacted a heavy price—at best, the donor would lose all their martial arts, and at worst, they would perish. Furthermore, these techniques were notoriously inefficient; even sacrificing a supreme master would barely produce a first-rate fighter.

Who had ever heard of someone instantly creating a "half-step supreme" master in the blink of an eye, while remaining completely composed, without so much as a flushed face or a quickened breath?

Li Miao smiled and waved a hand in front of her. "Elder Yin, come back to your senses. If we don’t save them now, people are going to start dying."

"Ah! Yes!"

Yin Minjun snapped out of her daze. She lunged forward with her sword, closing the distance to Lao Qifeng in a single flash.

Lao Qifeng felt a fierce gust of wind beside him, and suddenly someone was at his side—the speed was so great that he barely had time to react.

*Is this the work of Lord Li? Such lightness skill!* he thought, turning his head, only to freeze in surprise. "Elder Yin!?"

Yin Minjun said nothing. She raised her sword, gathered her internal energy, and set her sights on the massive beast.

"Wild Goose Returns to Zhurong!"

This was the most profound and powerful technique of the "Five Hengshan Divine Swords," the signature style of the Hengshan Sect. As the blade descended, the dispersing internal energy was enough to strip the falling leaves from the trees for a hundred paces.

*Clang!*

A strike to the throat!

Hengshan swordsmanship did not rely on overwhelming force like the Taishan style; it favored unpredictable, erratic movements. It was precisely for this reason that the sect was composed mostly of women. Yet, this particular strike was incredibly swift and razor-sharp.

After piercing the beast’s throat, the momentum did not cease. The blade cleaved clean through the tiger’s head—a head that Lao Qifeng had spent half a day striking with little more than flesh wounds to show for it.

Lao Qifeng was stunned. Yin Minjun was the second-in-command of the Hengshan Sect. He had dealt with her many times and had seen her fight; she was, at best, a solid, middle-of-the-road, first-rate fighter. How could she suddenly possess such level of skill?

*If the Hengshan Sect had someone like you, why would you need to travel all the way to Qilu for the Five Mountains Alliance? Wouldn't it be easier to just dominate the southern martial arts world?*

"No, that’s not right."

In an instant, Lao Qifeng realized the truth and turned to look at Li Miao. Li Miao gestured for silence.

Lao Qifeng understood immediately. *If this is the handiwork of Lord Li, who shattered the Ming Cult in a single night, then it is no longer strange.*

*What a miracle! Though, I wonder why someone with such martial prowess is only a thousand-household commander. Is it possible the imperial court is deliberately keeping him hidden from the public eye?*

While he pondered, Yin Minjun did not stop. She flashed toward a panther and unleashed another strike, "Crane Soaring Over the Purple Canopy."

At first, she had struggled to adapt to the surging internal energy, overexerting herself. But as a seasoned first-rate expert, she quickly gauged her new strength. This strike pierced directly into the panther’s chest, shredding its heart; as she withdrew the blade, a fountain of blood sprayed several feet high.

She moved on without pause, appearing behind a gray wolf that stood as tall as a man's shoulder, and thrust her sword once more.

These beasts, much like the voodoo soldiers in Taian City, were difficult to handle because of their thick hides. Ordinary first-rate experts couldn't penetrate their defenses, and their lack of fear—combined with the poisonous blood they leaked—made them a nightmare for people like Wang Hai. However, against a supreme master, these things were far less effective. A true expert could bypass their defenses in one strike, and their reckless disregard for life only made them more vulnerable.

With Yin Minjun’s arrival, the dire situation was immediately reversed. Every strike claimed a life. She utilized the Hengshan Sect's signature lightness skill, the "Monkey’s Somersault Cloud," which was famed for its speed. In her hands, it became lightning-fast and impossible to track.

At this moment, a man hiding beneath the roots of a tree in the woods felt his voodoo insects dying one by one, his heart trembling.

"How can this be? There are no supreme masters present! How could I be losing!?"

The death of his insects took a toll on his mind. His heart hammered in his chest, and a trickle of blood spilled from his lips.

"No, I cannot let these people leave alive! If they do, the legacy of my tribe will be in danger!"

"So be it. I shall sacrifice my life here!"

With that thought, the shaman did not hesitate. He reached into his robes to retrieve a lethal toxin, intending to spur his remaining insects into a suicidal frenzy.

Suddenly, he heard a faint *thud* behind him.

Following that came a spreading chill in his chest. He looked down and saw a hole the size of a thumb, from which blood was bubbling, staining his clothes and seeping into the soil.

In disbelief, he reached behind him. On the tree trunk behind him, there were two small holes identical to the one in his chest.

"Who..."

That was his final thought. He collapsed with a crash, twitched a few times, and fell silent.

Li Miao withdrew his finger and tucked his hands into his sleeves. "Still want to fight to the death? Your heartbeat was leaking out—did you think I couldn't hear it?"

"The Profound Heaven Finger is truly useful."

With the shaman dead, the beasts suddenly stiffened and ceased their movements. Yin Minjun did not waste the opportunity; she struck in quick succession, killing them all within moments.

The others stood dumbfounded by her display, taking a long time to recover.

"Elder Yin, to think you were hiding such immense power!"

"Indeed! If not for Elder Yin, I fear many of us would have lost our lives today."

"This debt of life is hard to repay. Elder Yin, you shall be rewarded in the future!"

As the others heaped praise upon her, Yin Minjun knew this wasn't her own doing. She wanted to decline, but then remembered Li Miao’s desire to remain low-profile and kept her silence.

Surrounded by experts, Yin Minjun looked across the crowd at Li Miao, who stood to the side with his hands tucked into his sleeves. Seeing her gaze, Li Miao smiled, withdrew a hand, and gave her a thumbs-up.

Yin Minjun felt her face flush, and she was left at a loss for what to do.

Lao Qifeng noticed her embarrassment and clapped his hands. "Enough, everyone. This is not the time for talk."

"We don’t know if the Miao people have other tricks up their sleeves. Our disciples are waiting outside the tomb, and they must be growing anxious."

"Let us leave first. We can talk more once we have reunited with our men."

The others nodded in agreement.