Maiden Galaxy

Chapter 79: When You Reach The Top

Changluo had a geographical advantage, being situated at a thoroughfare of land and water. The land route led north, passing through the Beech Plains and some cities, ending at the national capital of Chang'an; the water route led south, passing through Tianbao, Changyang, and Huai Mountain, reaching Jiangzhou. Further south was Yanzhou, ending in the prosperous Jiangnan region.

Changluo's vicinity had rich mining veins, roads connecting everywhere, and thriving commerce as merchants poured in endlessly from all over. To this prosperous city, the Chen Family's contributions did not go unnoticed. Back then, Chen Zhangtian was only a young, high-ranking military officer of Chuan Province. He groomed the horses and drilled the troops, fully prepared for battle for over a decade as he developed Changluo into a stable and prosperous place. From this Changluo came the saying "for places thousands of li away, there are more then tens of thousands who wear armor." Even more noteworthy was that thanks to the chaos of frequent war in the Central Plains back then, large numbers of scholars sought asylum in this place.

As a result, Changluo was also known as the "City of Scholars."

Later, Chen Zhangtian was conferred the title Lord Chang'an and transferred his post to Chang'an. Changluo was thus turned over to a branch family of the Chen Clan to manage affairs. Although this family was surnamed Chen, they did not have any high aims in cultivation. They operated their territory in Chuan Province quite competently, unlikely to decline.

As the time for the metropolitan examination approached, the warriors coming to Changluo now were as numerous as a school of silver carps moving downstream.

Today, several dozen kilometers outside Changluo city.

Several carriages were currently traveling towards Changluo. Tugged along behind the carriages were several dozen large chests that contained hundreds of fine armors and weapons. Dozens of warriors rode upon large, jujube-red horses as escort. Each warrior had a full forehead, bulging temples, and especially substantial qi and blood in their mind. They were all Qi And Blood Nine Turns level.

A banner hung over the carriage.

Written upon it was the word "Ning."

The caravan slowly made its way towards Changluo. The armor and weapons on the carriage were the merchandise this time.

On the large red carriage at the front of the carriage, there was a middle-aged man riding a pitch-black horse. On his back was a broadsword.

"Young Miss, after this stretch of road, we will soon reach Changluo. We will be safe then." The middle-aged man on the horse said somewhat happily.

From inside the carriage came a soft grunt.

"Young Miss, you're so determined to sell the merchandise on your own, but this is truly a bit dangerous." Along the path from south to north, the man had but worried to death.

"It will be fine. I'm already grown up, so I should share a bit of the burden." The carriage's curtain was lifted. A young woman as beautiful as flowers slightly smiled. Her eyes were bright, quite full of the spirit of Jiangnan, the jasper of a little family.

"The family head certainly hopes that Young Miss can get married as soon as possible." The man smiled.

"Get married." The girl slightly sighed, sinking into the depths.

"Young Miss, can it be you want to succeed a Star Name?" The man shook his head: "The Outer Star Field's Star Names are but very difficult to succeed. Young Miss, don't waste time on this."

In Star World, it was very difficult to bear a Star Name after marriage. Any woman who showed even the slightest interest in a Star Name would delay their engagement. However, even if they delayed the engagement, bearing a Star Name was only a wild fantasy. The man had watched the girl grow up ever since she was a small girl. He knew that because her body was unable to cultivate qi and blood, she had no way to learn martial arts. From the perspective of succeeding the Ning Family in the future, this was nevertheless a major blow.

"There's no rush, no rush." The young woman faintly smiled, her voice soft, bright and mellow.

After a period of travel, the caravan entered a remote mountain ravine.

Just at this moment, arrows flew down like rain from both sides of the pass, and murderous shouts shook the heavens. "Look out!" The bodyguard yelled. He drew his broadsword and swung the blade. A ray of fierce saber-qi was emitted, breaking several dozen of the incoming arrows. The man exercised his qi and blood, and an Essence Flower bloomed over his head.

At this time, forty to fifty mountain bandits rushed out, surrounding the caravan.

The man flew off his horse, his broadsword immediately swinging in an arc as he used a blade technique. The bandits who bore the brunt of the assault were promptly decapitated. "Watch this!" The man swung again. He was Essence Flower Late Stage, his Qi And Blood indestructible. Each slash seemed to be full of killing intent.

After several dozen of the bandits were immediately repelled.

"An Essence Flower warrior dares to be arrogant in front of I, your father." A pale-faced man whose arms reached past his knees cackled. He snapped his fingers, an two flowers appeared over his own head.

"Qi Flower?"

A ray of True Qi entangled the broadsword.

The man brandished his palm, using a Collapsing Mountain palm strike.

Compared to an Essence Flower warrior, a Qi Flower warrior's techniques would have reached a new level. A Qi And Blood warrior merely used qi and blood to bolster their strength, but a Qi Flower warrior transformed worldly spiritual power. How could qi and blood compare to the strength of the world?

Collapsing Mountain Palm struck.

True Qi was emitted, actually with the force to topple a mountain. The bodyguard's broadsword had Two Stars, but against this attack, it was powerless. The pale-faced man's figure moved. He reached out and grabbed, swift as a ghost, seizing the bodyguard's wrist.

The bodyguard screamed. His wrist was broken, and then he was struck several times, his eyes swollen shut.

"Die." The pale-faced man said disdainfully.

"Stop!" All of a sudden, a voice shouted.

This voice was delicate and noble yet very brave, making the pale-faced man grasp the bodyguard's skull.

"Young Miss!!" The bodyguard gasped for breath and strained to open his eyes.

"Big Brother Guo." The girl shook her head and dismounted the carriage. The maid behind her trembled as she held the lady's skirt, but the young woman herself was determined, resolutely stepping forward. "All of you, stop."

"Hee, hee, I just knew there was a beauty." The pale-faced man beamed widely.

"Let them go." The girl bit her thin lips. "These things are yours."

The pale-faced man threw Bodyguard Guo away as if he was a piece of trash. He instantly was in front of the girl, a finger gently caressing her cheek, yet he felt only beauty and freshness.

"You're mine, too." The pale-faced man said.

"I am the successor to Huai City's Ning Family. If you kidnap me, the Ning Family will inevitably destroy your fortress. Do you still want to do this?" The woman stared straight into her counterpart's loathsome eyes, completely fearless.

From the moment he spotted the Ning banner, the white-faced man had thought of Huai City.

One of the south's largest weapon merchants, they had very good relations with many of noble families from the major cities. If he actually kidnapped her, perhaps they truly would stop at nothing to root out his hideout.

"Don't tell me I should just let you go like this?" The pale-faced man nevertheless did not want to let such a simple and elegant girl leave his clutches.

"If you dare bully the Young Miss, the Ning Family will fight you to the last gasp." The bodyguard struggled to say.

The spectating bandits roared with laughter.

"I've operated here for so many years. Fight me to the last gasp, I'm not afraid of you." The white-faced man smiled.

"I'll take you to be my bride, and then I'll throw you away after I play with you for a few days. By then, I, Your Father,¹ will have switched to a new place and become a new man." The pale-faced man said conceitedly. He had Qi Flower cultivation. It could be said no one in these parts was able to stop him.

This girl was shocked as the pale-faced man grabbed the girl and pulled her away.

Meanwhile.

In the sky above, a flying chariot was soaring high. The man and woman on the chariot looked down at the scene unfolding far below them. Near rich cities, the surrounding regions were always filled with bandits. Just Changluo alone had several mountains.

"To unexpectedly bully a woman, tsk." Zhongli Sanmei was very disdainful. She glanced at the man beside her: "Chen Mo, still not going to be the hero who saves the beauty?"

Chen Mo nodded. He had no reason to ignore such a scene in front of him. He placed Nianyou into Zhongli Sanmei's care, and then he jumped off from the flying chariot.

At this moment, the pale-faced man was taking the girl back to the mountain peak. When the Ning Family warriors saw this, they immediately resisted, but the man waved his hand, releasing True Qi and killing several of them. "You let me go…Save me…Save me…" The girl struggled.

"Fancy that you're surprisingly incapable of even the slightest of martial arts despite being an aristocratic daughter, tsk." The pale-faced man who did not feel even a bit of power from the girl laughed out loud, very pleased with the girl's resistance. The more she resisted, the more excited he grew. "Even if you cried yourself hoarse, no one will come save you."

"I'm called Yourself Hoarse, you looking for me?"²

A mocking voice inserted itself into his complacency without any warning. All of a sudden, the mood turned grave. The white-faced man and young girl turned their heads back in astonishment, spotting a youth leisurely strolling about and walking over, easily passing through the crowd towards them.

If it was not for the inappropriate situation, the girl would have nearly smirked from hearing him call himself Yourself Hoarse.

"What stinky brat wants to play hero who save the beauty?" The white-faced man wrinkled his brow. However, seeing his cultivation was not high, he sneered, immediately letting go of the girl's hand. His silhouette warped, instantly launching himself towards Chen Mo. Without wasting a breath, he acted decisively and savagely, his Collapsing Mountain Palm striking again.

True Qi that could topple a mountain and overturn seas barreled towards Chen Mo.

Chen Mo activated the One Qi Ring, blossoming his Qi Flower at the same time. Seeing Chen Mo suddenly bloom Two Flowers Overhead, the pale-faced man was startled. However, he immediately became even more ruthless. This was a trifling boy, how strong could his martial arts possibly be. Even if he was Qi Flower, he could not compare to the Ancient Martial Art that he cultivated. 

Collapsing Mountain descended. Chen Mo used Gen Overturned Bowl to dispel it.

Among the Bagua, Gen represented Earth, and Earth included mountains. Although the opponent used Collapsing, Chen Mo's palms moved, catching the True Qi in his palms, then pushing it along the way.

The expansive True Qi flowed like a tide.

Chen Mo originally thought this technique would injure the man, but his body techniques abruptly changed and evaded this killing blow. The man's next move once again was unleashed with ferocity, this one being "Splitting Mountain."

This palm was like a sword, with power to cleave a mountain.

His arms were very long, allowing his palm techniques to become extremely fierce.

Chen Mo dodged about. The man pressed in close. Despite looking extremely frail, his palm techniques were fierce. His Collapsing Mountain,³ Splitting Mountain,⁴ Moving Mountain,⁵ and Scaling Mountain⁶ were endless. Combined with his vigorous True Qi, normal Qi Flower warriors honestly would have no way to take him down. No wonder he was so unbridled.

"Young Lord, be careful, his is the ‘Five Sacred Mountains Chant!'"⁷ The girl shouted in surprise.

"Impressive, to be able to discern my cultivation method. But now I want you even more." The pale-faced man smiled malevolently, immediately standing firm. His presence vanished.

"Stinking brat, I'll show you my cultivation method!"

His figure seemed to become as towering as a mountain all of a sudden, insurmountable.

The Overlooking Mountain of the Five Sacred Mountains Chant.

"That's fine, I'll show you mine." Chen Mo smiled, finally becoming serious.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap

Six footprints appeared in the ground.

Three palm strike attacked at the same time.

Time, space, the world itself, all of them seemed to combine under the three palm strikes.⁸

The pale-faced man already could tell that Chen Mo's technique was very strange. Inwardly, he sneered that his Overlooking Mountain was an extremely powerful defensive technique. Power like Mount Tai uprooted the ground, mighty and chilling. At the same time, he formed two fists, instantly striking apart the line of nothingness to arrive in front of Chen Mo.

Bang.

An intense exchange.

The pale-faced man's eyes widened in disbelief. Right now, the man seemed to stand atop the Five Sacred Mountains, glancing at the tiny mountains below. His gaze from the top of the Five Sacred Mountains was surprisingly smashed by Chen Mo's three strikes. Three palm imprints were left in his chest, penetrating through his spine and organs. In his surroundings, the symbols of Qian Three Unbroken and Kun Six Severed were immediately carved into the ground before promptly vanishing.

"The Original Bagua…Impossible."

The pale-faced man fell over, unable to believe this as he took his dying gasp.

1. Arrogant way of addressing oneself ↩
2. Yes, Chen Mo literally makes this joke. ↩
3. 崩山式 ↩
4. 斷山式 ↩
5. 移山式 ↩
6. 登山式 ↩
7. 五嶽訣 ↩
8. Just to clarify, these are Chen Mo's palm strikes. ↩

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