43: Chapter 43 First Steps into The Legend of the Condor Heroes: A Small Test of Skill

Without any warning, Zhang Sanfeng felt a sudden burst of white light before his eyes, and the Taiji Dao Rhyme around his body began to circulate wildly and uncontrollably, forcibly tearing through layers of space-time barriers.

A violent wave of dizziness washed over him, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself having crashed heavily into a reed bed by the lake.

The icy lake water soaked through his moon-white Daoist robe, and his once meticulously groomed hair bun had come undone.

He raised his hand to touch his waist, but the Zhenwu Sword he brought from the Yitian World was nowhere to be found, and the Medicinal Pill and token he had been carrying had also vanished completely.

He was left with nothing but a tattered Daoist robe and hands covered in mud, looking exactly like a destitute Daoist who had been robbed while fleeing for his life.

"System?" Zhang Sanfeng silently called out in his mind, but received no response; in his mind, only the blurry words "Heavens Transmigration Initiated" were flickering.

"Damn it, what an infuriatingly unreliable System!"

He guessed that the space-time turbulence had likely impacted the System core, causing it to temporarily go offline.

What was more troublesome was that the laws of heaven and earth in this world were far stricter than those in the Yitian World.

Without the help of the System, his Great Grandmaster cultivation was being tightly suppressed by the world's will; if he were to forcefully unleash it, it would inevitably trigger a backlash from the rules and cause him to be rejected by the entire world.

Zhang Sanfeng took the initiative to withdraw all his aura, suppressing his cultivation to the Acquired Early Stage level.

He needed to re-adapt to the world's rules, even hiding the Pure Yang Dao Rhyme circulating within his body deep inside his Dantian.

However, the combat instincts honed over a century in the Jianghu, his precise control over the human body's Meridians and Acupoints, and the essence of Wudang Sect martial arts carved into his very bones had never disappeared.

He picked up a thumb-thick reed stalk to use as a walking stick and strolled leisurely toward the direction of the city.

Just as he walked out of the reed bed, a heart-wrenching cry and the wanton, lewd laughter of soldiers drifted from ahead.

Ahead, three Jin soldiers in leather armor were surrounding a peasant woman carrying a vegetable basket; the leader of the soldiers tore the woman's clothes, while the other two grinned and held down her arms.

A number of commoners had gathered around, all clenching their fists, yet they dared not speak out in anger—the Jin soldiers were vicious and cruel, and the slightest resistance meant the destruction of one's entire family.

Zhang Sanfeng's eyes turned cold in an instant.

He had seen enough bloodshed in his life and hated such invaders who bullied the weak the most.

Talk of stopping at a certain point or leaving room for maneuver meant nothing when facing Jin soldiers who burned, killed, and looted; there were only four words: Eradicate evil completely.

He did not stop, walking straight toward the three men.

Upon seeing this, the leading Jin soldier turned around, cursing, and swung his horsewhip at him: "Stinking Daoist, get lost! Don't get in the way of Grandpa's fun!"

The horsewhip whistled through the air toward Zhang Sanfeng's face, but he did not dodge or avoid it; he flicked his wrist slightly, and the reed stalk in his hand lifted seemingly at random, accurately wrapping around the tip of the whip.

The clever force of the Wudang Cotton Palm technique "Eighteen Falls of Touching Clothes" flowed out, and the Jin soldier felt an irresistible force coming from the whip, causing his body to lunge forward involuntarily.

Zhang Sanfeng sidestepped, and simultaneously, his right hand formed a palm and lightly struck the soldier's back.

This palm strike appeared powerless, but it contained the essence of the Wudang Cotton Palm "Needle Hidden in Cotton"; the yin-soft internal energy instantly penetrated his body, shattering his heart Meridians.

The Jin soldier didn't even manage a scream before falling straight to the ground, dead.

Upon seeing this, the other two Jin soldiers were furious, drawing their scimitars and hacking at Zhang Sanfeng.

The two attacked from left and right, the blade light flashing and sealing off all his room to dodge.

The surrounding commoners let out a cry of alarm, all believing that this thin, weak Daoist was doomed to die.

But Zhang Sanfeng shifted his feet slightly, utilizing the Wudang Cloud Ladder Step, his figure floating as lightly as willow catkins, passing perfectly between the two blades.

He landed behind the Jin soldier on the left, his fingers pressed together like a sword, accurately striking the opponent's "Yuzhen Acupoint."

The Jin soldier's body stiffened, his scimitar clattered to the ground, and he fell straight down.

The Jin soldier on the right saw his companions killed in an instant, frightened out of his wits, and turned to run.

Zhang Sanfeng tapped his foot, his figure chasing after like an arrow, and the reed stalk in his hand thrust forward, striking his "Danzhong Acupoint."

Although the reed stalk was soft, in his hand it was sharper than a steel needle, directly piercing the opponent's skin and flesh, sealing his internal energy.

The Jin soldier groaned and collapsed to the ground, unable to move again.

In less than three breaths, all three wicked Jin soldiers had been executed.

The surrounding commoners were stunned, taking a long while to react before erupting into thunderous cheers.

"Thank you, Daoist, for saving my life!" The peasant woman hurriedly straightened her clothes and bowed deeply to Zhang Sanfeng.

She took all the eggs from her vegetable basket and stuffed them into his hands, "Daoist, please take these eggs to fill your stomach on the road."

Zhang Sanfeng did not take them, smiling slightly: "It was just a small effort, benefactor, you need not be so polite. These Jin soldiers were wicked and deserved to die."

Just then, a deafening roar came from afar: "Who dares to kill my men!"

Everyone looked toward the sound, seeing a tall, burly Jin centurion with a ferocious face, holding a ghost-head saber, rushing over with four personal guards.

This man's name was Zhou Hu, originally a bandit in the Jiangnan region who later defected to the Jin, becoming their lackey thanks to his ruthless Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber technique.

His hands were stained with the blood of countless Han people, and his cultivation had reached the Acquired Peak, making him notorious in the Jiaxing area.

Seeing the three corpses of the Jin soldiers on the ground, Zhou Hu was so furious his eyes almost split open, pointing at Zhang Sanfeng and roaring: "Stinking Daoist! How dare you kill my men! Today, I will tear you into ten thousand pieces to avenge my brothers!"

Before his voice even faded, he brandished his ghost-head saber and charged fiercely toward Zhang Sanfeng.

The ghost-head saber flashed with a cold light in the sun, carrying a stench and immense power; it was clearly imbued with all his internal energy.

The surrounding commoners were frightened and retreated, expressions of worry appearing on their faces.

Between the levels of the Acquired Realm, there was a world of difference, and they were all afraid that this Daoist who had rid the people of a scourge would meet a tragic end.

Zhang Sanfeng's expression was grave; he knew this was the first opponent he had encountered since his Transmigration into this world.

With his current Acquired Early Stage cultivation, it was not worth it to fight Zhou Hu head-on.

But his century of combat experience and exquisite Wudang Sect martial arts were enough to make up for the gap in cultivation.

He took a deep breath, circulating the only sliver of internal energy within his body to the extreme.

Zhou Hu's ghost-head saber had already hacked down toward his head, but he shifted his feet, utilizing the Cloud Ladder Step, his figure drifting three feet to the left like a ghost, perfectly dodging the fatal blow.

With a loud "bang," the ghost-head saber smashed heavily into the ground, splitting a deep crack in the bluestone slab.

Zhou Hu missed his strike and immediately changed moves, sweeping his saber horizontally toward Zhang Sanfeng's waist. The wind from the blade was sharp, accompanied by a whistling sound.

Zhang Sanfeng leaped up again, dodging the horizontal strike, while the reed stalk in his hand thrust forward, utilizing the first move of the Wudang Spirit Gate Thirteen Swords, "Pointing to Heaven and Drawing on Earth," accurately piercing Zhou Hu's Shenmen Acupoint on his right hand, which held the saber.

Zhou Hu was startled and hurriedly withdrew his saber to block.

With a "clang," the reed stalk collided with the ghost-head saber; the reed stalk did not break, but instead, borrowing the momentum of the blade, it gently guided it, diverting Zhou Hu's blade energy to the side.

"You've got some skill!" Zhou Hu snorted coldly, a flash of surprise in his eyes, and then his offensive became even more fierce.

The ultimate moves of the Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber were unleashed one after another, the blade light enveloping Zhang Sanfeng's entire body like a rainstorm.

Zhang Sanfeng was unhurried, his feet treading the Bagua footwork as his figure wove and wandered between the flashes of the blades.

The reed stalk in his hand would thrust, point, lift, and sweep, bringing the subtlety of the Spirit Gate Thirteen Swords to its fullest expression.

Every strike pointed precisely at Zhou Hu's weak spots, forcing him to withdraw his blade to save himself.

After fighting for over thirty rounds, the more Zhou Hu fought, the more alarmed he became.

He clearly had a cultivation level far higher than the opponent, yet he could never touch the corner of his clothes, instead being forced into a flustered mess by the opponent's reed stalk.

He felt like he was fighting a ball of cotton; all his force was hitting empty air, causing his blood and Qi to surge in frustration.

"Stinking Daoist! If you have the guts, stop dodging!" Zhou Hu roared, unleashing the ultimate move of the Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber, "Fierce Tiger Descending the Mountain." He poured all his internal energy into the ghost-head saber, and a three-foot-long blade aura erupted from the saber, hacking down toward Zhang Sanfeng's head.

This strike gathered his life's cultivation, determined to split Zhang Sanfeng in two.

Zhang Sanfeng's eyes narrowed; he knew it was time to end the battle.

He did not retreat but advanced instead, rushing toward the blade aura.

Just as the ghost-head saber was about to strike him, he slightly turned his body, and simultaneously both hands utilized the Taiji Cloud Hands, lightly resting on the back of the blade.

The essence of the Taiji Force, "Borrowing Force to Strike," instantly erupted.

Following the momentum of Zhou Hu's saber, he gently guided and turned it, and Zhou Hu felt an irresistible force coming; the ghost-head saber in his hand changed direction involuntarily, hacking toward one of the personal guards nearby.

That personal guard had no time to react before being split in two by the ghost-head saber.

Zhou Hu was horrified and tried to pull back his saber, only to find the blade was stuck fast by Zhang Sanfeng, unable to move.

Just then, Zhang Sanfeng's left hand formed a palm, utilizing the ultimate move of the Wudang Cotton Palm, "Pushing Mountains and Filling Seas," and lightly struck Zhou Hu's chest.

This seemingly gentle palm contained the Yin and Yang harmonizing Taiji Force, instantly penetrating Zhou Hu's Protective Aura and shattering his internal organs.

Zhou Hu's eyes widened, a large mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth, and his body slumped softly to the ground, dying with his eyes wide open.

The remaining three personal guards saw their centurion killed, frightened out of their wits, and turned to run.

Zhang Sanfeng picked up a few throwing knives from the ground and tossed them casually; three cold gleams flashed, and the three personal guards fell to the ground in response, all killed.

The whole scene fell into deathly silence again. Everyone stared at Zhang Sanfeng, dumbfounded, their eyes filled with awe.

A destitute Daoist had actually killed Zhou Hu, who was at the Acquired Peak!

Just as Zhou Hu collapsed to the ground, a clear notification sound suddenly rang in Zhang Sanfeng's mind, and the previously blurry System interface finally stabilized.

[Detected that the host killed a target carrying abnormal energy; System emergency mode upgraded, basic functions unlocked!]

[Detected residue of "Seven-Absolute Gut-Severing Poison" and a secret letter on the target, triggering hidden emergency mission: [Zuixian Restaurant Poisoning Crisis]]

[Mission Objective: Tomorrow at noon, prevent the Jin from deploying the Seven-Absolute Gut-Severing Poison at Zuixian Restaurant, protect the safety of Master Qiu Chuji and the Jiangnan Seven Freaks, and thwart the Jin plot to incite internal strife in the Martial Forest.]

[Mission Reward: System fully repaired, unlock Storage Space and Cultivation Technique modules, obtain preliminary recognition from the Legend of the Condor Heroes World Origin.]

[Mission Failure Penalty: Legend of the Condor Heroes World Origin damaged, host will be forcibly repatriated, and the progress of the main world Fusion will be permanently reset to zero.]

[Mission Countdown: 11 hours and 47 minutes. Warning: Host's current cultivation suppression state cannot be lifted; forced Breakthrough will trigger a backlash from the world's rules.]

Zhang Sanfeng felt a chill in his heart; he searched Zhou Hu's person and found a secret letter.

It read: "Tomorrow at noon, at Zuixian Restaurant, use the Seven-Absolute Gut-Severing Poison to poison Master Qiu Chuji and the Jiangnan Seven Freaks to death, inciting internal strife between Quanzhen and the Jiangnan Martial Forest; upon success, reward is one hundred taels of gold."

The signature was a blurry "Wanyan" seal.

So, the abnormal energy fluctuation from earlier had come from the deadly poison on Zhou Hu.

The Jin not only wanted to kill Master Qiu Chuji and the Jiangnan Seven Freaks but also wanted to make the Central Plains Martial Arts World kill each other so they could sit back and reap the benefits.

Zhang Sanfeng put away the secret letter, dragged the corpses of the Jin soldiers into the reed bed to bury them, and then cupped his hands to the surrounding commoners.

"Fellow villagers, the Jin will soon send people to search, everyone should leave here quickly."

The commoners thanked him one after another, then scattered and left.

The peasant woman bowed deeply to Zhang Sanfeng again before picking up her vegetable basket and leaving.

Zhang Sanfeng looked up at the towering city gates of Jiaxing, a flash of determination in his eyes.

The appointment at Zuixian Restaurant was, after all, the beginning of the Legend of the Condor Heroes World Jianghu.

Since he had encountered this conspiracy, he could absolutely not let the Jin's treacherous plot succeed.

He patted the dust off his body, gripped the reed stalk in his hand, and walked firmly toward Jiaxing City.