49: Chapter 49 Stepping In! Ninth Rank!

The difference between an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist and a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist is like heaven and earth; it is an unbridgeable chasm.

Even someone like Li Yuan, who possessed the martial arts experience of a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist...

...could perhaps manage to spar with a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist by relying on his Eighth-Grade strength.

But to gain an advantage in a fight? Absolutely impossible.

Unless a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist threw their life away, they would never be injured by an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist.

The massive gap between the two can also be seen in the difficulty of cultivation.

At this moment, Li Yuan had already obtained the 140 years of Internal Energy and martial arts experience from Senior Emperor Chen.

Yet, the step from Eighth-Grade Perfection to the Ninth-Grade Realm still could not be easily achieved.

This goes to show just how difficult this step truly is.

At this very moment, Li Yuan's body was undergoing a transformation.

Due to Senior Emperor Chen's martial arts experience, his physical strength was climbing toward the Ninth-Grade Realm.

But Li Yuan knew that to step into the Ninth-Grade Realm, it was not merely a simple improvement of his physique.

His own mental state had to keep pace simultaneously in order to advance to the Ninth-Grade Realm.

Sitting cross-legged on the spot, Li Yuan's consciousness descended into his own Sea of Consciousness.

With his own consciousness, he experienced the hardships and dilemmas that Senior Emperor Chen had once endured.

If there were anyone else present, they would have been able to see Li Yuan's complexion changing constantly.

Sometimes deathly pale, sometimes flushed.

Li Yuan experienced those hardships time and time again, completely transforming them into tempering for himself.

Time passed continuously.

Li Yuan, focused on his cultivation, seemed to have forgotten time, dedicating himself entirely to the tempering within his Sea of Consciousness.

When he opened his eyes again, Li Yuan looked at his surroundings, and it seemed like a completely different experience.

The environment, which should have been pitch black, was clear in Li Yuan's eyes.

Even the wisp of wind drifting through the cave was captured by Li Yuan in the darkness.

The Ninth-Grade Realm, finally entered!

This peak Realm of martial arts, he had mastered it!

He bowed once more to the remains of Senior Emperor Chen, then set off to leave.

This trip out had been full of rewards.

Now, even if he encountered a Ninth-Grade expert or those enemies who harmed his Family, who would live and who would die would not be as they had anticipated.

In the coming time, Li Yuan prepared to take the initiative to gather intelligence.

He no longer needed to hide; instead, he would completely uncover the identities of his enemies.

Turning from defense to offense, the time had come for him to carry out his revenge!

...

During the month that Li Yuan was in seclusion for his Breakthrough, the front line at Yingyang Pass had become the most tense area in the entire Da Shun situation.

"Junior Brother Jiu Xing, has the imperial court not sent any experts yet?"

In the city of Yingyang Pass, City Lord Liu clutched his forehead; his head ached.

The area of Yingyang Pass was originally the territory of Qianqiu Mountain.

When encountering problems, in most cases, Qianqiu Mountain would step forward to resolve them.

In this way, they demonstrated the Sect's control over this region.

Of course, the Sect's control and the imperial court's control did not conflict.

From the overall perspective, the Sect was also a part of Da Shun.

It was similar to the enfeoffed vassal forces that needed to obey the arrangements of the imperial court.

But now, this enfeoffed vassal could no longer hold on.

With the intervention of Qianqiu Mountain, Yingyang Pass still had to seek reinforcements from the imperial court.

Hearing the City Lord's question, Deputy General Wang Jiuxing frowned and shook his head.

As a deputy general in the army, he also knew how severe the current situation was.

"The secret letter sent back by the imperial court said that they would send experts to assist within half a month.

But half a month has already passed..."

Wang Jiuxing's answer was within City Lord Liu's expectations.

On the side of the Jin Kingdom, their Grand Preceptor had already arrived at the Jin Kingdom's front line.

Furthermore, he had formally put forward demands a month ago.

The Jin Kingdom had a total of two demands.

First, to cede the three prefectures of Yingyang Pass.

As incredibly important and fertile land within Da Shun's territory, ceding these three prefectures would cause national strength to drop by at least twenty percent!

Furthermore, in terms of terrain, the Jin Kingdom would occupy an excellent strategic location.

Various siege Magical Artifacts and defensive Sharp Weapons would be placed into the heartland of Da Shun.

Da Shun would lose the opportunity to confront the Jin Kingdom.

Furthermore, the difficulty of the entire country's border defense would further skyrocket.

The second condition was for Da Shun to hand over that mysterious expert.

At this moment, the Jin Kingdom already had three Langhe River experts dead at the hands of Li Yuan.

The morale of the entire Jin Kingdom was extremely low.

They needed to punish Li Yuan, this mysterious expert, to stop the low morale and the seething public opinion.

Why did the Jin Kingdom dare to propose such excessive demands? The reason was very direct.

Because this Grand Preceptor of the Jin Kingdom was a Ninth-Grade expert.

The Ninth-Grade Realm was an incredibly sharp sword.

With this sword hanging over Da Shun's head, they naturally dared to make such demands.

City Lord Liu sighed deeply.

In front of his deputy general, he did not bother with pleasantries.

He was very clear about the current situation.

"Da Shun lost two Ninth-Grade experts, Qin Fengzhan and Xie Zhou, a few months ago.

Because of the loss of their top Family experts, their existing interests were carved up by other families.

In the current situation, what Ninth-Grade expert would be willing to take the risk..."

City Lord Liu said softly.

He had long anticipated this current situation.

On the surface, everyone had to strive and work hard for the interests of Da Shun.

But in reality, wasn't it just for themselves?

If Yingyang Pass was breached, everyone's interests would certainly be compromised; this was beyond doubt.

But if their own Ninth-Grade expert met with misfortune, the loss would be even greater.

Comparing the two, these major powers and large families naturally knew how to choose.

Now was the time for the imperial court to find a way.

They needed to provide enough benefits to make those Ninth-Grade experts contribute.

But it was very clear that nothing had been negotiated in the past half month or so.

"City Lord, what should we do now..."

As a deputy general, Wang Jiuxing was actually a person with many ideas.

Yet, in the face of the current situation, he could not think of any solution.

In a situation where a Ninth-Grade expert was involved, he felt himself too insignificant.

The defensive Magical Artifacts deployed at Yingyang Pass even had very little effect on a Ninth-Grade expert.

To rely on Magical Artifacts to deal with a Ninth-Grade expert, only the masterpieces of Da Shun's top Artifact Refiners would have a chance.

In the beginning, no one had thought that a border dispute would lead to the emergence of a Ninth-Grade expert.

"Rest assured, the imperial court will definitely send a Ninth-Grade expert to confront them.

This is certain.

The Sharp Weapon of a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist will certainly be used in the confrontation.

But I feel that the imperial court will choose peace talks..."

City Lord Liu's explanation made Wang Jiuxing frown.

If it were a compromise peace talk, then naturally interests would have to be sacrificed.

This sacrifice—whose interests would be sacrificed?

The Jin Kingdom proposed two conditions; they likely wouldn't satisfy both.

Ceding the three prefectures of Yingyang Pass would damage Da Shun's national prestige, and all parties would not agree to it.

But handing over that mysterious expert was something many people in Da Shun could accept.

"City Lord, are you saying that the imperial court will let us sacrifice that mysterious expert?

But he has saved us many times; if we betray him, wouldn't that make us beasts?"

Wang Jiuxing found it somewhat unacceptable.

He didn't think he was particularly noble or had high character.

But he could not do something like returning evil for good!