King of Martial Dominance

ChunXisheng had a nightmare.

In the dream, he found himself standing in front of a grand and imposing tomb. Before the tomb stood a massive white marble stele, about three zhang (Chinese measurement, approximately 10 meters) high, with large vermilion characters as if forged from iron and silver, each stroke powerful and resonant, deeply moving.It read: "Tomb of the Grand Conqueror, Northern General Qin Muge."

On both sides of the stele, a large group of men and women dressed in white mourning attire wailed and wept, their voices filled with sorrow and tears. In the distance, there was a vast expanse of soldiers wearing mourning clothes and white armor, stretching from the mountainside all the way down to the foot of the mountain, densely packed like a mountain and a sea.

However, only Chu Xisheng stood out in a bright red robe, the kind worn by ancient men during weddings, completely out of place in this setting. For some unknown reason, although Chu Xisheng clearly felt alive, he was unable to move his body.

Several sturdy and powerful men, like iron towers, placed him in a coffin. Next to him lay a female general, dressed in formidable golden battle armor, her face covered by a layer of facial armor, her hands clasped in front of her abdomen, motionless and silent.

Chu Xisheng saw outside the coffin a middle-aged man of about forty, with a solemn and mournful expression as if looking at him. However, in the middle-aged man's eyes, there was an infinite chill, enough to freeze the heart.

— It seemed to be his uncle.

Behind the middle-aged man stood a group of dark figures. They appeared to be weeping, but there were no tears in their eyes. Instead, their lips curled upwards, as if they were sneering.Chu Xisheng felt an immense anger and hatred welling up inside his chest. He wanted to rise up and slaughter these despicable creatures, creating a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. But he remained immobile, only able to watch helplessly as the heavy coffin lid descended upon him.

In that moment, Chu Xisheng abruptly woke up. He gasped for breath, trembling with fear, and his clothes were drenched in sweat. For the past three months, he had been dreaming of this scene every few days, experiencing indescribable despair in his dreams.Chu Xisheng took deep breaths, calming himself down. He looked out the window and saw the pale light of dawn on the horizon, accompanied by the distant sound of ringing bells. Hurriedly, he changed into a disciple's robe he had received just the day before.

As he stepped out of the room, he saw Chu Yungung washing up under the eaves. The young girl had also changed into a new outfit. The tight-fitting disciple's attire accentuated her figure, with a slender waist and long legs. Combined with her face, every detail met Chu Xisheng's aesthetic standards.

In the morning light, the young girl was unbelievably beautiful.Chu Xisheng was slightly bewildered, his eyes showing a hint of surprise. "General, you seem to be in a good mood today. Is there something joyful happening?"Chu Yungung was brushing her teeth and turned around, her voice muffled. "How do you know I'm in a good mood?"

"I can tell," Chu Xisheng replied. He picked up a pole from the corner of the wall and walked over. "Every morning before, you used to wake up with a furrowed brow, burdened with worries. But today is different, your brow is relaxed."

Chu Yungung touched her brow, then burst into laughter.Perhaps after three months of busyness, she finally saw a glimmer of hope.This guy is actually quite attentive.

As Chu Yungung thought this, she saw Chu Xisheng handing her the pole. "After you finish washing up, go help me fetch two loads of water. I want to take a bath."If there was one flaw in this storage yard, it was the absence of a well.Fortunately, there was Chu Yungung.

Although this woman didn't have any talent for household chores and always had a sickly look on her face, her physical strength was still intact. She was skilled at doing manual labor.

Occasionally, she would break some poles, wooden barrels, and other things. But in this ancient world, wooden products were much cheaper than ceramics, clothing, or ironware.Chu Yungung puffed up her cheeks, but still took the pole and went outside to fetch two buckets of water.

While setting down the buckets, she remembered something. "By the way, when you go to the canteen for breakfast, remember to give one or two magic silver to the person serving food, so she can prepare two days' worth of drinking water for you."

Upon hearing the need for one or two magic silver, Chu Xisheng's expression twitched slightly.

Just two days' worth of drinking water, isn't that too expensive?

A steamed bun bought outside only costs three wen, can't he just buy it outside?

Chu Yungung could tell from Chu Xisheng's expression what he was thinking, and her lips curled up slightly. "You'll find out later."

Chu Xisheng set down the toothbrush twig, looking pensive as he gazed at Chu Yungung across from him. "I'm actually more curious about why you are so familiar with Zhengyang Martial Hall. The legendary General Qin Mugge, who inherited his father's position, has always been in the military and never joined any immortal martial sects or visited Xiushui City during his lifetime."

The so-called Grand Ning Conqueror, General Qin Mugge of Anbei, was none other than his younger sister in front of him at the moment.

Originally, she was 28 years old, which, by modern standards, would make her an "old leftover woman." However, after their reincarnation, Chu Yungung's appearance and figure inexplicably reverted to that of a 14-year-old.

"Should rumors in the martial world be believed?" Chu Yungung laughed dumbly, with a look of reminiscence in her eyes. "I joined the military at the age of 16 and, before inheriting the Iron Mountain Qin family, I changed my name and entered the Nameless God Sect. However, my identity was later exposed, and I was stripped of my rightful status."

Chu Xisheng listened and nodded in understanding. It all made sense now. When they both escaped from the grave, it explained why Chu Yungung insisted on coming to Xiushui City.After quickly washing up, they arrived together at the main training ground in the eastern courtyard of the martial hall to participate in the morning exercises.

In the eastern courtyard, there were a total of seven to eight hundred inner and outer disciples.They breathed in and out, absorbing the pure Yang energy of the rising sun after dawn, converting it into true essence.

This was the practice of nurturing one's essence, absorbing pure Yang energy to nourish one's own vital essence.Chu Xisheng took a 'Nurturing Essence Pill' given by the hall's master, Lei Yuan, before starting to breathe in and out.

Facing the sun, Chu Xisheng felt unbearable pain throughout his body, as if thousands of steel needles were piercing his body. His face contorted, but he had to endure it.Having risen from the grave, returned from death, and with every part of his body, including his internal organs, being eroded by Yin energy, he feared the overbearing Yang fire.

However, he had to practice this technique as only the power of Yang could improve his physical condition and resist the Yin and cold malevolent energies.Besides taking the 'Yang Healing Powder,' this was the only method that could prolong his life.However, the effect of the Nurturing Essence Pill left Chu Xisheng quite satisfied.

After refining the pill, it indeed had the effect of ten days of cultivation, replenishing his true essence by ten days' worth. By the time they reached the beginning of the Chen hour in their breathing exercises, they felt an intense burning sensation throughout their bodies. The intensity of the sunlight exceeded their limits of endurance.

While the inner disciples of the martial hall continued their cultivation against the morning sun, the outer disciples ended their breathing exercises and began practicing martial arts under the supervision of the martial instructors. They divided themselves into different categories, with some practicing sword techniques, others practicing knife techniques, and some practicing spear and staff techniques. Among them, the most popular was the Wind Chasing Knife technique, with over ninety practitioners.

Chu Xisheng persisted until the second quarter of the Chen hour, his body emitting green smoke, before ending his breathing exercises and joining the last row of inner disciples to practice knife techniques with everyone else. He hadn't fully mastered the Wind Chasing Knife technique yet, often just performing empty moves, but the supervising martial instructors didn't reprimand him. Instead, they showed a friendly smile and an appreciative look towards him.

The incident where he, an outer disciple who hadn't even fully learned the Wind Chasing Knife technique, injured Long Sheng and humiliated the instructor from the West Court, Shao Lingshan, had already spread throughout the martial hall. The East and West Courts had always been at odds with each other, so they found Chu Xisheng particularly pleasing.

By the time Chu Xisheng finished his morning training, he was panting and his limbs were trembling slightly. This reminded him of the "Virtual Training" in the martial treasury. He knew that he couldn't neglect his knife technique training.

Chu Xisheng needed time to cultivate his true essence and accumulate his inner strength. He also needed a lot of practice to integrate the knife techniques into his muscles and bones, making them his instinctual movements. But his current condition only allowed him to gather Qi for half an hour a day, and practicing the knife for an hour was extremely strenuous.

The only solution to this problem was the "Virtual Training" in the martial treasury. However, each martial point could only exchange for ten days of training, and Chu Xisheng didn't find it cost-effective. He regarded the martial points as precious until he fully understood how to obtain them.

While Chu Xisheng was pondering over this matter, he felt someone grabbing his hand. It was Chu Yunyun, pulling him forward in a frenzy. Chu Xisheng was initially puzzled but quickly understood. He saw that the disciples who had finished their morning training were rushing forward like a surging crowd, competing to reach the nearby canteen called the "Dining Hall."

Chu Xisheng couldn't help but sigh. He didn't expect to experience the scene of fighting for food in the canteen again, ten years after graduating from high school. If Chu Yunyun ran at full speed, her speed would naturally surpass those inner and outer disciples who hadn't cultivated much. However, she restrained herself and ran in the middle of the crowd.

When it was their turn to get food, there wasn't much delicious food left in the canteen. Following instructions, Chu Xisheng handed one or two magic silver to the person serving food. The person smiled and not only added a meat bun to his bowl but also handed him a package.

The package had the imprint of the words "Zhengyang Dining Hall," and inside were a bag of water, sixteen meat buns, two roasted duck legs, and a small bag of pickled vegetables, enough for him to eat for two days.

Chu Xisheng noticed that he wasn't the only one receiving such treatment.Many new entry disciples were secretly giving silver to Ah Ma.There must be a reason for this.After breakfast, he parted ways with Chu Yunyun.

Chu Yunyun was an art academy disciple and usually studied talismanic arts in the Daoist temple on the north side of the martial arts hall.Chu Xisheng, on the other hand, joined a group of new entry disciples led by several martial arts masters to a massive stone building in the center of the martial arts hall.The stone building was fifty yards wide, seventy yards long, and twelve stories high, with each floor standing over two yards tall. Its ancient and majestic appearance was truly imposing.

Above the main gate were three neatly gilded characters that read "Scripture Pavilion."The head instructor of the eastern courtyard, Ye Zhizhiu, was already waiting there.She stood on the steps with her hands behind her back, overlooking more than a hundred new disciples below.

"This is the martial arts hall that countless warriors in Xiushui County dream of. Inside, not only are the complete external ten arts of the Non-Phase Divine Sect kept, but it also contains a total of seven hundred martial classics of sixth grade or lower, as well as numerous totems and contemplative images left behind from ancient times.

According to the rules of our martial arts hall, anyone entering the Scripture Pavilion must pay ten magic silver each time. Inner disciples of the martial arts hall need to pay thirty magic silver for a day's stay inside.However, the Ancestor of the Non-Phase Divine Sect once established a rule that all inner disciples of the sect's martial arts halls can have two days of free study when they first enter.

So you must not waste this opportunity. Make note of as much as you can from the external ten arts and the martial classics inside. If there's anything you don't understand, you can come out and ask the instructors."At this point, Ye Zhizhiu gestured to the side, and a large group of teaching martial artists walked over.

"In order to prevent damage to the books in the building, you must surrender all prohibited items upon entering, including weapons, hidden weapons, firelighters, flintstones, especially anything that can start a fire. No open flames are allowed inside the building. Each item inside is worth thousands of magic silver, and you wouldn't be able to afford it even if you emptied your entire fortune!"

As Ye Zhizhi spoke, the swords, axes, short spears, throwing darts, throwing stones, plum blossom needles, crossbow arrows, and firelighters and flintstones dropped to the ground with a clatter.Someone even took out a small Wolf Tooth Club.However, what surprised Chu Xisheng was what Ye Zhizhi said next.

"To prevent you from hiding iron objects or carrying oil, no one is allowed to bring outside food or water containers. The martial arts hall has prepared food and water for you. Steamed buns cost 100 wen each, meat buns cost 200 wen, and meat sandwiches cost 200 wen. Water containers cost 500 wen."Chu Xisheng turned his head and looked at the corner pointed out by Ye Zhizhi.

There, he saw about twenty young men dressed as chefs guarding several large baskets, smiling kindly at them.The baskets were filled with steamed buns, meat buns, meat sandwiches, and water containers.

Chu Xisheng couldn't help but chuckle and thought to himself that the people in the martial arts hall really knew how to make money.He then touched the bag he was carrying on his back and felt grateful to Ah Ma, the cook from the canteen.