Chapter 529: Big Brother Ruins My Martial Heart

Chapter 529: Big Brother Corrupts My Martial Heart

“How are things going on your end in Suzhou Prefecture right now?”

Inside a room in some inn, the projections of Li Jun and Yuan Mingfei sat facing each other.

Having not seen each other for a while, Li Jun felt that the innate charm in Yuan Mingfei’s brow seemed to be growing fainter. Though her smiles and frowns were still as beautiful as ever, they no longer carried that heart-stopping allure they once had.

It seemed the influence of the Buddha-Order Heavenly Maiden was slowly fading; it probably wouldn’t be long before she shook it off completely.

That was what Li Jun thought.

“Almost no progress at all.”

In the projection, Yuan Mingfei stretched lazily. The curve that suddenly rose caught Li Jun’s attention, making him, who had just been lamenting that strong liquor had turned into clear water, suddenly freeze in expression.

“The trouble you caused up in Liaodong was too loud. Now rumors are spreading everywhere that the New Eastern Forest Party plans to use this chance to make a move, intending to firmly pin this black hat on the Buddha Order. So the entire Hanshan Temple is on edge, and Xiao Hei and I don’t dare approach rashly.”

Seeing Li Jun frowning in silence, Yuan Mingfei smiled lightly and asked, “Do you feel like you’ve been taken advantage of?”

“A little,” Li Jun said slowly. “Do you think Pei Xingjian foresaw this outcome beforehand?”

“Given Pei Xingjian’s character and style as we’ve seen before, if he had known things would develop this far, he probably wouldn’t have tipped you off. The person he despises most in this life is Zhang Fengyue, yet he ended up working for free for others. Pei Xingjian must be kicking himself now, wishing he could slap himself twice.”

Yuan Mingfei chuckled, then shifted the topic. “But that said, if even this was within his calculations, then this Lord Pei’s acting skills are too terrifying. Even if we don’t fall for it this time, we’re bound to suffer a loss at his hands sooner or later.”

Li Jun nodded at this. Leaning back in his chair, he gazed at the ceiling and slowly let out a turbid breath.

“I’ve never even met the man, yet I always feel he’s everywhere, that every move I make might become a stepping stone for him. Has our Grand Secretary really opened a third eye, missing nothing?”

“Being able to lead the Confucian Order to suppress the Buddha and Dao Orders, plus the Zhu Ming imperial family—such a figure is rare in the empire’s thousand-year history.”

Yuan Mingfei also sighed. “And he’s only Order Two now. If he really achieves Order One, the Great Ming might enter an era of great Confucian dominance.”

“An era of great Confucian dominance…”

Li Jun mulled over those words, then raised an eyebrow and asked, “Since the Liaodong affair has stirred up such a storm and everyone knows it’s a black hat, why doesn’t the Buddha Order fight back? Have those bald donkeys really cultivated into Buddhas, ready to offer their heads to the Confucian Order’s blade, feeding themselves to the eagle, sacrificing themselves to save others?”

“These doubts of yours can probably only be explained by the great Buddha Orders on Mount Ling.”

Yuan Mingfei pondered for a moment, then said softly, “But based on my understanding of them, they might be treating this crisis as an opportunity. It’s even possible they’re performing a duet with the New Eastern Forest Party.”

Li Jun scratched his itchy scalp and asked in surprise, “Are you saying the Buddha Order internally wants to kill with a borrowed knife?”

“If the temple door faces a different direction, then others are heretics. If the Buddha enshrined on the altar holds a flower or a bottle, that’s still heresy. In sequences built on faith, internal strife is often bloodier and more brutal than external conflict.”

Yuan Mingfei’s voice turned cold. “For the traditional Han Buddhist sects of the ‘Two Capitals and Thirteen Provinces,’ they believe they are the true Buddha Order lineage. As for the frontier Buddhist sects, they too believe their temples are the true ancestral courts, their Buddhas the true gods, their genes and dharma the true gifts from the Buddha to mankind, while the Han Buddhist Order is nothing but clumsy novices, even demons blaspheming the Buddha.”

“It was only the immense pressure from the martial order of the sects that forced both sides to temporarily set aside their prejudices and jointly build Mount Ling, uniting the entire Buddha Order. But after so many years of peaceful days, internal rifts have long formed. Now on Mount Ling, spittle flies and curses are louder than sutras, let alone in the temples below.”

Li Jun sneered. “So it’s back to ‘pacify the interior before dealing with the exterior’?”

“This is Zhang Fengyue’s brilliance. With one move, he seized the greatest contradiction within the Buddha Order.”

Yuan Mingfei said seriously. “The Liaodong incident report clearly states that Lu Ning captured a live suspect. With his methods, it wouldn’t be hard to extract the true culprit. But the New Eastern Forest Party deliberately refrains from doing so, instead spreading word that the investigation is ongoing. This gives the Buddha Order ample time for Mount Ling to decide who takes the fall. The frontier and Han factions have long been at odds, eager to use this chance to weaken each other, even wipe each other out. They’ll lie low for a while, digest their gains, and then contend with the Confucian Order again.”

Li Jun retorted, “Killing with a borrowed knife, but killing one’s own. Don’t they understand the simple truth that when lips are gone, teeth get cold?”

“The problem isn’t understanding, but wanting to understand.”

Yuan Mingfei shook her head. “I’m just an ordinary wandering monk now, can’t guess the thoughts of those great Buddhas. But I think the Han Buddhist Order won’t let this chance slip; they’ll definitely use the Confucian Order as vanguards to open up that impenetrable plateau.”

The chaos was like boiling soup!

Li Jun drew a cold breath, already foreseeing the situation. As long as the Han faction pinned the black hat on the frontier faction, the entire western part of the empire would likely erupt into war. Once the Confucian and Buddha Orders moved, the Dao Order would certainly not stand idly by, because much of their population base was clustered in the empire’s southwest, adjacent to frontier territory. The Dao Order’s relationship with the frontier faction was much closer than the Han faction’s.

Li Jun had a vague feeling that this time the Buddha Order might end up losing the chicken while trying to steal the rice.

“So Xiao Hei and I can only continue to lie low and wait for an opportunity.”

Having finished relaying the intelligence she had gathered, Yuan Mingfei turned to ask, “How are things on Chen Qisheng’s side?”

Li Jun shook his head with a bitter smile. “Ever since his master’s accident, Chen Qisheng has become a different person. If not for Xiao Bai holding him back, he’d have rushed into Longhu Mountain long ago to fight the Zhang family to the death.”

Before talking to Yuan Mingfei, Li Jun had already contacted Xie Bi’an, and the reply was still no substantial progress, with scanty intelligence obtained.

“It seems we all need a breakthrough. I guess we’ll have to wait for you, the martial man.”

Yuan Mingfei smiled wryly. “For once we tried to play mind games, but in the end, we still find that swinging fists is the most direct and effective.”

Li Jun also gave a helpless smile. “Once I finish my business in Jinling, I’ll come join you.”

“We’ll wait for you.”

After ending the video call, Li Jun sat in his seat, pondering for a moment, then opened a foot-square wooden box on the table.

Lying snugly on a red silk cushion was a silver-glinting martial arts injector.

[Hong Yu Blade (Fourth-Rate Jiji) Study Complete]

[Consumed 300 Proficiency Points, Hong Yu Blade upgraded to Fourth-Rate Grand Perfection]

[Remaining Proficiency Points: 282]

As this martial art sent by Shen Li reached Grand Perfection, the deliberately attentive Li Jun finally caught that fleeting, unusual sensation.

If he had to describe it, it felt like something had vanished inside his body. No need to overthink—it must be that after the Hong Yu Blade’s ability had been realized, it was devoured by his genes.

The devouring was extremely fast and utterly silent.

If Li Jun hadn’t been prepared this time, he would have missed it entirely, just like before, with no sign of anything happening until it was over.

“No wonder I always felt something was off. So it’s a fat rat in the house. If you’re going to eat, can’t you at least make some noise? Would I refuse you if I knew?”

Li Jun grumbled to himself, mentally tallying the abilities that had been eaten.

Just in Jiji alone: the Ninth-Rate Single Saber Selection, Eighth-Rate Baji Fist, Eighth-Rate Rakshasa Blade, Seventh-Rate Tendon-Splitting Bone-Dislocating Hand, Sixth-Rate Devouring Dragon and Tiger, Fifth-Rate Hibernation Officer Technique, the Fourth-Rate Fist Art City Smasher inherited from Su Ce, and now this Fourth-Rate Hong Yu Blade—counted, it was shocking.

So far, a full eight Grand Perfection abilities had been eaten!

Among all these dazzling abilities, Li Jun had only briefly experienced the battle-array killing intent of the Rakshasa Blade. Apart from that, he had relied purely on the physical strength gained from rank advancement and the basic functions of martial arts when fighting.

Actually, after advancing to Order Four, Li Jun had already noticed that Fourth-Rate Jiji martial arts didn’t seem much different from those of other grades. Even in terms of moves, starting from Fifth-Rate, they had already surpassed ordinary human limits. The only real difference was probably in the amplification and application of power.

What truly defined the gap between Order Four and Order Five was undoubtedly the abilities realized after a martial art reached perfection.

So all along, Li Jun had been carrying heavy firepower, yet whenever battle came, he only knew how to draw his blade and hack away.

It seemed full of manly blood, but in truth it was all bitterness and tears.

Fortunately, relying on sheer physique, Li Jun had stumbled through, or else he’d have died unjustly.

No wonder Shen Li was so determined to cling to Li Jun’s leg.

In other words, this lone Order Four Sinew Master had kept his blade sheathed all along, his edge still hidden.

“Looks like you’re still not full? Your appetite is really something else,” Li Jun muttered.

It seemed to sense the host's displeasure, the gene that had repeatedly stolen food suddenly transmitted a surge of delight and a feeling of fullness.

A flicker of surprise lit up Li Jun's grim expression.

According to Shen Li, the arrival of this fullness meant that a particular gene segment had been fully fed, and a new acquired ability was about to emerge.

The delight grew stronger. All other sounds faded from Li Jun's ears, leaving only the roaring rush of surging blood and the crackling of tendons snapping and reconnecting.

The gene segment responsible for combat sang out in full voice, while the others responded with envious hums.

A celebration that could only occur within raw flesh and blood unfolded inside Li Jun's body, a cacophony of strange noises filling the air.

At the very peak of all the delight, a sudden, violent palpitation flashed like lightning across his heart. Li Jun felt as though thousands of sharp swords were bursting forth from within him, every shred of flesh and bone pierced and severed beneath that edge.

The edge was overwhelming, irresistible.

The newborn ability was simple and pure to the extreme.

"Mm—"

Li Jun clenched his teeth, forcibly suppressing the low growl that had risen to his lips.

In his perception, thousands of invisible swords had already pierced through his skin. The tables and chairs they touched instantly shattered and splintered.

Li Jun took a deep breath, enduring the excruciating pain that made even his soul tremble. With his iron will, he desperately pressed down on the sharpness pouring out of his body, trying to drag those bursting blades back inside.

The tug-of-war lasted for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. When the gene's delight faded and everything returned to calm, Li Jun's tattered clothes were already soaked through with sweat.

He gasped for breath, staring at the small black characters that appeared before his vision.

[Sequence]: Martial Sequence Four—Ember Lord

[Combat]: Edge Force (Martial Art), Taotie (Fourth Rank Great Perfection), Zheguan Art (Fifth Rank Great Perfection), Eat Dragon Tiger (Sixth Rank Great Perfection)

[Body Art]: Ascend Peak (Fourth Rank Great Perfection)

[Body Forging]: Divine Hall (Fourth Rank Great Perfection)

[Internal Art]: Quake Foe (Fourth Rank Great Perfection)

From the information in the small characters, Li Jun discovered that aside from the three functional combat arts—Taotie, Zheguan Art, and Eat Dragon Tiger—all other combat arts and martial techniques, including the Zhenlu Court combat art "Topple City" inherited from Su Ce, had been devoured and merged.

They had been replaced by an ability called "Edge Force," with no realm suffix attached, only the simple words "Martial Art."

Li Jun lowered his eyes in thought; after a moment, understanding dawned.

A martial art progresses from beginner to mastery, reaching its limit and evolving into a "technique." Then from a sea of techniques, it finally transforms into a "martial art."

The reason there were no further realm divisions was that this ability had already reached divine mastery.

As Li Jun quietly savored this hard-won ability, a sudden rustling and vibration came from the wreckage at his feet.

The Celestial Token lying among the wood shavings trembled uneasily. From its unknown material, a map of Jinling City suddenly projected, with a meaningless red dot bouncing continuously.

Then a heart-wrenching howl erupted from it.

"Big brother, save me!"

Boom!

A scorching wave of air swept outward. The cabinet of Chinese herbs, engulfed in flames, gave off a faint exotic fragrance.

The upper half of Shen Li's clothes had been burned away. His exposed skin was covered in dense burn marks and blisters, his messy black hair singed into short, curly stubs. He looked utterly miserable.

"A Sequence Four like you, who has only tempered one internal martial art, can actually become the head of a sect. Seems like the hidden reserves of your sect's martial sequence aren't much left."

A teasing, mocking voice came from a burning sphere of fire three zhang away from Shen Li.

Invisible flames were gently parted by a pair of hands, and a terrifying figure without skin stepped out.

Zhu Jin stood completely naked, his entire body covered in a strange, dark red tissue. On closer inspection, it was clearly a mass of intertwined dark red threads, originating from the humming, pumping mechanical heart inside him.

These threads, whether they belonged to biological tissue or mechanical constructs, looked chaotic and crude, but their hardness and toughness were terrifyingly strong, their defensive capability nearly equal to a martial sequence who had cultivated fourth-rank body forging to great perfection.

But if it were just about being tough, Shen Li would not have been driven into such dire straits.

What truly troubled him was the crimson fury that his opponent released with every move. It was not only extremely hot but also incredibly hard to extinguish—even his tempered internal power could not fully block it.

Shen Li's remaining eyebrows furrowed tighter. The man calling himself Zhu Jin was clearly only Sequence Four; Shen Li, skilled in perception, was certain of that.

Yet the strength his opponent displayed utterly crushed him in every aspect. Even now, the mechanical heart hadn't entered overclock mode—it was only in its normal state, and it had already beaten him until he couldn't fight back.

A freak like this among the soldier sequences—Shen Li had never encountered or even heard of before.

"When I first became a soldier sequence, the most common thing I heard was that we soldier sequences are substitutes for you martial sequences. You walk the righteous path of accumulation; we walk the shortcut of breaking through to rebuild. At best, we are clever tricks, not even worthy of being an independent sequence."

Zhu Jin sneered, sparks flying from his nose and mouth. "That's why, after I became an executioner for the Six Strategies, my favorite task was hunting you martial sequences. Do you know why?"

"The main reason, of course, is that your bounties are more generous than others."

Zhu Jin answered his own question with a laugh. "Besides that, I really enjoy hearing you martial sequences wail and scream in my True Samadhi Flame, watching your proud raw flesh and blood slowly roast, becoming nourishment for my mechanical heart's evolution. Oh, and I prefer well-done, so you better hold out a while longer."

"You have some seriously twisted tastes."

Shen Li spat fiercely, pointing at him and cursing without shame, "I can't beat you, so you better keep bragging while you can. Because later, I'm afraid you'll be crying your eyes out!"

"Who's coming to save you? The Celestial Token, or Li Jun? A sect martial sequence waiting to be saved by a lone martial sequence—how impressive."

Zhu Jin chuckled. "But even if he comes, what can he do? A crippled pseudo–soldier three with a neutered mechanical heart. He's not the only one who can kill."

"Another idiot with a broken brain. In your circle, is it that the dumber you are, the harder you fight? If so, I'll dig out my brain right now and start fighting without a second thought."

Shen Li cursed disdainfully, "Zhu Jin, if you're really that tough, let's stop for now. Let my big brother come, have him fight you one-on-one, I promise not to interfere. I want to see how full of shit you really are—"

"You talk too much."

Zhu Jin's charging figure was like a blazing meteor, stopping just three inches before Shen Li. A fierce whip kick, carrying searing heat, sliced toward Shen Li's head like a flaming blade.

"Damn—"

Caught off guard, Shen Li hurriedly raised his elbow to block beside his ear, internal power surging through his arm to form an invisible shield. But the immense force still blasted him sideways.

Before Shen Li could hit the ground, a figure submerged in raging flame had already appeared silently behind him, hands clasped together and driving down onto his head.

In Shen Li's internal power perception, every move his opponent made was perfectly clear. But knowing was one thing—now gravely wounded, he had no strength to dodge, only able to lift his arms awkwardly to shield his head and face.

Thump!

A muffled sound like a drumbeat. Where fist met arm, a shockwave spread, blowing aside the flames that obscured his face, revealing Zhu Jin's demonic sneer.

Shen Li crashed into the street like a cannonball, a zhang-wide crater instantly exploding behind his shoulders.

Zhu Jin hovered above the pit, looking down like a proud deity.

"Let me ask you a question. Answer honestly, and you might live."

Zhu Jin's tone was indifferent. "What is your Celestial Token's purpose in Jinling this time? What is your relationship with Li Jun? Is your contact with him on orders from above, or your own doing?"

"If you're not here to kill, then stop fighting. Can't you ask a question more civilly?"

Shen Li lay twisted in the bottom of the pit, his lips barely moving. "I came to Jinling this time to—"

"To what?" Zhu Jin descended slightly.

"To find your mom and give you a little brother."

Shen Li's bloodied face suddenly split into a grin. "If you don't like it, your dad thinks a little sister would be fine too."

Zhu Jin tilted his head. "You like playing tough? No problem. Once you're branded at the Liu mansion, even the hardest bones will be ground to dust."

“Big brother, Brother Li, Master Li. If you hadn’t come today, your little brother would have been finished right here!”

Shen Li murmured to himself, but his vision, blurred by blood, suddenly caught sight of a black lightning bolt streaking across the sky!

“You’ve finally come!”

Zhu Jin’s laughter had barely faded when it was abruptly replaced by a heart-rending scream.

From the pit, Shen Li saw it clearly: both of Zhu Jin’s arms were severed cleanly at the shoulders, the cuts as smooth as a mirror, as if by some sharp weapon.

Countless flames burst out, exploding into a towering sea of fire above the street, rolling overwhelmingly toward the black figure.

“Machine‑Heart Saint Infant, Overclock!”

The roar that surged from the sea of fire was immediately cut short by a flurry of muffled punches and kicks. Then Shen Li, unable to see the fight, only heard a few sharp, ringing sounds like long swords being drawn.

Snap.

A segment of dark red blood vessel drifted down and landed on Shen Li’s face.

“This is…”

Shen Li stared blankly, watching the spectacular sea of fire slowly dissipate as large pieces of dark red blood vessels, cut into finger‑length segments, rustled down in a shower.

“What are you still lying there looking at?”

Li Jun’s puzzled voice sounded in his ear. Shen Li ignored him and muttered to himself, “That’s it?”

“What do you mean ‘that’s it’?”

Shen Li’s face fell. “Nothing. It’s my future that’s gone.”

To hell with your Lone Martial Sequence!!