Sin Becomes a God

Chapter 23: Acquiring Another Secret Manual

As a future warlord, Zhu Yuanzhang—a man of average martial arts skill but extraordinary ambition—had put considerable effort into winning the favor of those in power. Lu Renjia, still carrying the Yitian Sword and not yet back in the Grand Hall of Bright Summit, suddenly heard a deafening chorus of praise. There, Zhu Yuanzhang, leading hundreds of disciples of the Flood Banner, prostrated themselves on the ground. “Our Sect Leader is a paragon of literary and martial virtue, with divine martial arts that are peerless and invincible under heaven. Zhu Yuanzhang vows to follow the Sect Leader, serving him faithfully in every capacity as we wage war across the Central Plains…” Kneeling on the ground, Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes shone with devotion. By mentioning his name once again, it was clear just how eager Zhu Yuanzhang was for Lu Renjia, the newly appointed Sect Leader, to remember him. The disciples of the Flood Banner behind Zhu Yuanzhang followed suit, shouting in unison. “Our Leader, a paragon of literary and martial virtue, whose divine prowess is peerless and unmatched under heaven…” “Our Leader, a paragon of literary and martial virtue, whose divine prowess is—damn it—unmatched under heaven…” Upon hearing the four words “Literary Virtue and Martial Virtue,” Lu Renjia’s mouth twitched, and he cursed silently to himself, “As if I’m the ‘Sun Rising in the East, Unbeaten by Any’… Damn it!” Taking a long, hard look at Zhu Yuanzhang’s face, which betrayed not a single flaw, Lu Renjia chuckled softly. “I’ve merely dealt with some scum. You’re Zhu Yuanzhang of the Flood Banner, aren’t you? Pile the corpses of those from the ‘Three Clans and Five Sects’ at the foot of Bright Summit, so that those petty scoundrels who dare to scheme against the Ming Sect’s Leader can see… what happens to those who offend the Ming Sect!” “This disciple humbly obeys the Sect Leader’s command!” Zhu Yuanzhang replied joyfully, immediately setting to work with the hundreds of Flood Banner followers. Little did they know that this entire scene had been witnessed by Lu Renjia. The siege of Bright Summit by the Six Great Sects was arguably the greatest crisis the Ming Sect had faced since its founding. To counter the Six Great Sects, the Ming Sect had deployed virtually all its top martial artists; even the Five Elements Banners stationed at the foot of Bright Summit to repel the Six Great Sects had suffered heavy casualties. As for the Six Great Sects’ assault on Bright Summit, even the White-Browed Eagle King and the Blue-Winged Bat King—the two Dharma Kings tasked with protecting the sect—had nearly met their ends. In stark contrast, the several hundred Flood Banner disciples behind Zhu Yuanzhang were all safe and sound, without a single scratch. It seemed that Zhu Yuanzhang, upon seeing the Six Great Sects besieging Bright Summit, must have anticipated that the Ming Sect’s prospects were bleak. He therefore led a few trusted confidants into hiding. Once he had turned the tide of battle, he emerged when no one was paying attention, pretending to be delivering a message of urgent warning. Watching Zhu Yuanzhang’s frantic activity with some interest, Lu Renjia walked slowly past him. Gazing at the pile of a thousand corpses, heaped as high as a small mountain, Lu Renjia said in a measured tone, “A wise bird chooses its perch; even an ant strives to survive… The desire to live and the fear of death are only human… I like smart people, but I don’t like those who think they’re smarter than they are…” Having said this, Lu Renjia turned and walked away, paying no heed to Zhu Yuanzhang’s face, which had suddenly turned deathly pale. By then, Zhu Yuanzhang was already drenched in cold sweat; Lu Renjia’s offhand remarks had undeniably laid bare Zhu Yuanzhang’s ulterior motives. This filled Zhu Yuanzhang with a deep sense of dread, but as a future warlord destined to found the Ming Dynasty, he quickly regained his composure as Lu Renjia walked away. “Phew…” He let out a deep breath,Zhu Yuanzhang had taken advantage of the moment when the White-Browed Eagle King and the Blue-Winged Bat King led the wounded sect members into the Sacred Tomb to bring out his own several hundred trusted confidants. He was determined to make a strong impression before the new Sect Leader, hoping to secure a prominent position in the future. But who could have imagined that what he would witness was Lu Renjia, wielding the Yitian Sword and unleashing a fiery red sword aura forty to fifty meters long, as he began a one-sided slaughter. The sight of dozens, even hundreds, of heads rolling at the wave of his hand truly terrified Zhu Yuanzhang, a warlord whose martial arts skills were merely at the second-rate level. Lu Renjia’s ghostly figure strolled through the throng of soldiers as if walking on level ground, and a sense of invincibility welled up within Zhu Yuanzhang. “The Eagle King is growing old… the Bat King is undisciplined and unfocused! He will still need to rely on me in many ways in the future! It seems I still have a chance…” Zhu Yuanzhang thought to himself. At that moment, inside the Sacred Tomb, the White-Eyebrowed Eagle King and the Blue-Winged Bat King sat cross-legged, meditating to regulate the chaotic true qi within their bodies, while Xiao Zhao gazed nervously toward the entrance. When she spotted Lu Renjia, an overwhelmed Xiao Zhao, like a bird returning to its nest, threw herself into his arms. “Young Master…” All that anxious waiting was distilled into a single greeting, sending ripples through Lu Renjia’s heart. Knowing full well that, to this small thousand-world realm of *The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Demon Cult Leader*, he was nothing more than a passing traveler, Lu Renjia could only sigh helplessly. Patting Xiao Zhao on the shoulder, he smiled and said, “Don’t worry. How could those scoundrels possibly hurt me? How are my maternal grandfather and the Bat King doing?” Hearing Lu Renjia’s words, Xiao Zhao, her face flushed with embarrassment, cautiously glanced around. When she saw that the injured cult members were all sitting cross-legged in meditation, she finally let out a sigh of relief. “Rest assured, Young Master. I’ve already treated the Bat King and the Eagle King’s wounds with the sect’s secret medicine! I believe they’ll be fully recovered in seven or eight days…” “Thank you for your hard work, Xiao Zhao… With so many injured cult members, I wonder if we have enough herbs?” “Please rest assured, Young Master… The injured brothers of the sect have been properly cared for, and for now, we have no shortage of herbs, food, or fresh water…” Lu Renjia nodded thoughtfully. The Ming Sect traces its origins to the Northern Song Dynasty and has been in existence for hundreds of years; it is said that Fang La, who was once a notorious figure during the Northern Song, was also a leader of the Ming Sect. With hundreds of years of accumulated resources, even though the sect has been fractured in recent years due to Yang Dingian’s mysterious disappearance, its deep-rooted heritage built over centuries is certainly not to be underestimated. “Hmm… Xiao Zhao, you’ve been busy all day. Go get some rest first. I’ll go check on Grandpa and the Bat King…” Under Xiao Zhao’s reluctant gaze, Lu Renjia entered a stone chamber. As the Dharma Kings tasked with protecting the Ming Sect, Yin Tianzheng, the White-Browed Hidden King, and Wei Yixiao, the Blue-Winged Bat King—the only two surviving elders of the Ming Sect—would naturally not be staying with the ordinary followers. A wisp of white smoke rose from the heads of the White-Eyebrow Eagle King Yin Tianzheng and the Blue-Winged Bat King Wei Yixiao. Lu Renjia knew this was a supernatural phenomenon resulting from the internal energy circulation of a first-rate martial artist who had opened the Twelve Regular Meridians and the Eight Extraordinary Vessels. Since Lu Renjia made no effort to conceal his movements, upon hearing his footsteps—even though they were in the midst of meditating and channeling their energy—the White-Browed Eagle King and the Blue-Winged Bat King, both top-tier martial artists, alertly opened their eyes. Upon seeing Lu Renjia, the White-Browed Eagle King and the Blue-Winged Bat King were just about to finish their practice and stand up when they heard Lu Renjia’s voice: “Grandfather, Bat King… let me lend you both a hand…” As he spoke, Lu Renjia sat down across from them and placed both palms against the chests of the White-Browed Eagle King and the Blue-Winged Bat King. An incredibly profound flow of Nine Yang True Qi surged from the palms into their bodies. The *Nine Yang Divine Art* was a peerless martial art on par with the *Nine Yin Classic*, so its healing effects were naturally several times faster than if Yin Tianzheng and Wei Yixiao had channeled their energy alone. In an instant, the blocked acupoints within Yin Tianzheng and Wei Yixiao’s bodies cleared completely under the nourishment of the profound Nine Yang True Qi. Even the latent injuries Wei Yixiao had suffered over the years from cultivating the *Frosty Cotton Palm* were completely healed. “Huu…” Exhaling a breath of stale air, Lu Renjia slowly opened his eyes. “Wuji… I never expected your internal energy to be so profound, hahahaha… The revival of our Ming Sect is within reach…” the White-Eyebrowed Eagle King laughed heartily. The Green-Winged Bat King was equally thrilled. “Great-nephew, it seems you’ve entered the Pre-Heaven Realm… You’ve even healed the latent injuries I’ve suffered from practicing the *Cold Ice Soft Palm* for so many years. This is wonderful… From now on, I, the Green-Winged Bat King, will never have to suck blood to ward off the cold again… Hahahahaha…“White-Haired Old Ghost, I, Wei Yixiao, think the best decision you’ve ever made in your life was having such a wonderful daughter… who gave you a grandson like this!” Now that their internal injuries were fully healed—and their external wounds would recover in no more than seven or eight days thanks to the Ming Sect’s secret elixirs—the White-Eyebrow Eagle King and the Blue-Winged Bat King were naturally in high spirits. When the White-Eyebrow Eagle King sensed the strong scent of blood on Lu Renjia, he couldn’t help but ask, “Wuji… did you drive away all those clowns from the ‘Three Guilds and Five Sects’?” Lu Renjia made no attempt to hide the truth and simply laughed, “I killed over a thousand of them. I’m sure no other sects will dare to mess with our Ming Sect for the next seven or eight days…” Upon hearing that Lu Renjia had slaughtered nearly a thousand people, the White-Eyebrow Eagle King and the Blue-Winged Bat King not only refrained from reproaching him but were, on the contrary, inexplicably exhilarated. “Decisive and ruthless… Excellent! Hmph, this will also serve to intimidate those petty scoundrels!” “What a satisfying slaughter… Hmph. Over the years, the disappearance of Sect Leader Yang has left our Ming Sect fragmented and severely weakened after this battle… Every Tom, Dick, and Harry has been coming to our Bright Summit to run amok… With this, I’m sure your reputation, my dear nephew, will surely surpass that of Sect Leader Yang in his prime!” Lu Renjia nodded with a smile, raised the Yitian Sword in his hand, and said, “If I had to rely solely on my fists and feet, dealing with those scum from the ‘Three Clans and Five Sects’ would indeed take some effort. But once the Yitian Sword is drawn, who can stand against it? Slaughtering those petty clowns is as easy as slicing melons and chopping vegetables…” This seemingly offhand remark caused the White-Eyebrow Eagle King, Yin Tianzheng, to furrow his brows. “As a martial artist, one must ultimately rely on oneself; over-reliance on external objects is not the best course. Wuji… now that you hold the esteemed position of Leader of the Ming Sect, you are no longer merely a swordsman. Though the Yitian Sword is a divine weapon, over-reliance on it has actually caused your cultivation to fall short! …Although your cultivation, Wuji, has reached the Xiantian Realm, you must not neglect your techniques… Why don’t I pass down my self-created ‘Eagle Claw Fist’ to you?” “That’s right, my dear nephew. The White-Haired Old Ghost is right… The Yuan Dynasty has gone to such great lengths to eliminate our Ming Sect by manipulating Cheng Kun—who knows, there might even be Xiantian-level masters among my men in Ruyang… When masters of equal rank face off, aside from comparing inner energy, exquisite techniques often play a decisive role. Why don’t I pass down my self-created ‘Frosty Cotton Palm’ to you as well…After all, I have no successor…” the Blue-Winged Bat King added. A smirk of triumph flashed across Lu Renjia’s face. After some back-and-forth, Lu Renjia accepted the secret manuals for the *Eagle Claw Technique* and the *Frosty Cotton Palm* from the White-Browed Eagle King Yin Tianzheng and the Blue-Winged Bat King Wei Yixiao. This was precisely why Lu Renjia had disdained learning the *Shaolin Dragon Claw Technique*. After all, in this world, the *Eagle Claw Fist*—created by the White-Browed Eagle King, a master of martial arts—was on par with the *Shaolin Dragon Claw Fist*. As Lu Renjia accepted the two manuals, the icy voice of the “Evil God System” echoed in his mind once more. “The Qualified One has acquired the E-rank martial art *Eagle Claw Style*…” “The Qualified One has acquired the E-rank martial art *Frosty Cotton Palm*…”