I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1488 - Chapter 1488 Chapter 4 Mindset_2

Chapter 1488: Chapter 4: Mindset_2 Chapter 1488: Chapter 4: Mindset_2 Tang Luo nodded and said, “Uncle, where is the forty-ninth area of the Southern Boundary? The Sword Master said this is the place designated for our clan’s station.”

“The forty-ninth area of the Southern Boundary?”

Xu Changge was taken aback, “Are you sure you heard it right?”

“Uh… I’m certain I didn’t mishear, is there something wrong with this place?”

After repeatedly confirming the location with Tang Luo, Xu Changge still muttered to himself, “It shouldn’t be… No matter how you slice it, you are a kin of the Heavenly Phoenix Lineage. Why would they assign you there?”

“Uncle, is there a problem with the forty-ninth area of the Southern Boundary?”

Tang Luo asked modestly.

“There’s a big problem.”

Xu Changge pointed towards the distant South, where a continuous and towering range of mountains blanketed with snowy peaks stretched out, “Do you see over there?”

Tang Luo nodded.

“The forty-ninth area of the Southern Boundary is right atop those snowy mountains.”

Xu Changge sighed, “Over the years, it’s become colder and colder up there; even some spiritual beasts can’t survive. Even the indigenous tribes who lived on the mountain have moved to the suburbs of the city… Otherwise, you first come to the Heavenly Phoenix Sword Saint’s residence and stay for a while, then you can slowly consider the matter of setting up a station.”

“Uh…..”

Tang Luo scratched his head, “Then I’ll have to trouble you, Uncle!”

“We are family; what’s all this formal talk for?”

Xu Changge flashed a big white smile, “Have you seen your grandfather and eldest uncle?”

“I have.”

Tang Luo nodded, “Grandfather has completed the spiritual body transformation and advanced into Sword Sect. It appears Uncle’s sword body is also about to break through, and he’s researching the integration of the Sword Intent.”

“A master of martial arts indeed; just a glance and you can tell so much. Not bad at all.”

…

Longzhou Calendar, Year 1791, August

The Tang Sen family had been living in the Heavenly Phoenix Sword Saint’s residence for a full ten days. For Tang Nuannuan, Middle Ying City felt more like her home ground–in fact, as soon as she returned, she went to visit her fellow disciples in the Sword Sect.

Even her smiles became more frequent, but apart from her, the rest of the group couldn’t let their guard down as easily.

Especially the students from the Marshal Star Pavilion who, at first, sneered when they heard about Tang Luo’s so-called devilish training.

In their eyes, the compulsory Bitter God Detachment Skill was already the epitome of hellish rigor.

It was beyond their imagination that there could be any training method more terrifying than that one, until they received the personalized enhanced version of the Bitter God Detachment Skill distributed by Tang Luo.

It was at that point when they understood what true despair felt like.

“How can there be such an anti-martial arts technique in this world?”

That was the consensus of all the Marshal Star Pavilion students after ten days of training.

The method, utterly unreasonable, demanded one to deplete the last bit of their spiritual power in an extremely short amount of time and enter a meditative trance.

Many people passed out in the very first second of closing their eyes and entering meditation, but Hall Master Tang Luo always had a way of stimulating them to continue.

What was even more lethal was that Tang Luo drove them to a very cold, snowy mountain, making them look for something–if they didn’t find it, they weren’t allowed to descend.

Ha-ha-ha, looking for something. He just wants us to die!

We’ve never even heard of such a cold that spiritual power couldn’t withstand. Out of three hundred students, half were frozen stiff or had fainted within two hours, and only one in ten had managed to find the designated item.

Tang Luo, who invented new ways to torment the students daily, had become the big devil in all the students’ hearts. If it weren’t for the fact they couldn’t defeat him, they would have long since banded together to rebel.

With no help from heaven and no doorway to earth, the Tang Clan disciples had no choice but to accept this cruel reality. All could do was count on their fingers, estimating how long they had to endure under the tyranny of this great devil before they could return to the Longxi Martial Hall.

Having survived this devilish training, the students silently vowed in their hearts that as long as they could return to the Martial Hall, they would never argue with the instructors and would meticulously complete the training of the Emotion Deprivation Technique.

“`

…

Heavenly Phoenix Sword Saint Residence’s Side Courtyard Banquet Hall

If one were to ask what the biggest benefit of returning to Yuanzhou was, it would be that the family could finally sit down and dine together once more.

The three generations shared a pleasant dinner as usual, yet whenever Tang Qi and Tang Lin, the two youngsters, intermittently inquired about the situation in Longxi, a sudden silence would befall the table.

It had been a full five months without a shred of news about the Tang Clan.

Xu Shuhui had once tried to request her brother Xu Changge to gather intelligence on the Longxi Alliance, but exceptionally doting on his sister, the man who usually granted her every wish responded uncharacteristically this time.

Not only did he refuse this reasonable request, but he also issued a warning, “Little sister, our clan currently harbors a deep resentment towards the Tang Clan of Longxi. Merely accepting your family has brought us immense pressure. You need to make an effort to distance yourselves from the Tang Clan of Longxi, even if it is just for show. Once this storm passes, we can figure out another way.”

Swordsman of Yuanzhou, with their chivalrous romance, detest injustice above all. Just the scandals emerging from the Tang Clan of Longxi are enough to enrage the swordspeople of Yuanzhou.

If it weren’t for the sheer distance to Longzhou and the numerous forces already marching there to mete out justice, this group would have long since found it impossible to sit still.

But, Xu Changge’s lack of assistance didn’t mean Tang Luo was out of options. Although he could not obtain firsthand, high-quality intelligence, distorted rumors were still better than being completely in the dark.

Yun Xiu, an expert in this field, would disguise herself daily and roam the streets, eventually establishing contact with several neutral intelligence organizations. After several months of absence, they finally obtained the first piece of intelligence on the Longxi Alliance.

“…In the year 1791 of the Longzhou Calendar, in early June, Sect Head Duan Siping and Duan Zhenyao of the Evil King Palace led a formidable army to press against Longxi. Righteous warriors from various states responded in kind, with true disciples of the Heaven Sect from Zhongzhou coming to their aid. In just over a month, nearly two hundred Fierce Realm experts joined… what they proclaimed as the Justice Alliance.”

“Refusing to sit and await their doom, the Longxi Alliance rallied their elite and assembled an equally large Fierce Realm army led by Fire-Stealing Grandmaster Xiao Jinlin, marching to the border of Nanji and Longzhou for a decisive battle.”

“…In this battle, Fire-Stealing Grandmaster Xiao Jinlin was suppressed by Duan Siping and Duan Zhenyao. The warriors of the Longxi Alliance were no match for the righteous forces coming from all directions for aid, and within just half a day, they handed over a hundred Xuanji Jade.”

“The Justice Alliance under the command of Martial Ancestors Zhu Huolong, the true successor from Wushen Mountain, and Lyu Xingkong, the true successor of the Eclipse Sect, designed multiple concentrated attacks, gradually expanding their advantage and incessantly scoring kills!”

Although they had long known that war leads to deaths, when the reality of battle losses was actually reported, the comparatively young Tang Xing and Tang Zhen found it hard to bear.

Yun Xiu paused before continuing to read: “In July of the same year, the four powerful families of Liu, He, Nong, and Mu, which held their camps at the four corners of Lingjiang, launched simultaneous strikes, deploying forces to Fuling, Mount Lan, Boma, and Jiejiang City!”

“Da Lin’s Commerce Alliance provided material support to the four families at the earliest opportunity, and the Bounty Guild also sent troops to assist in the assault.”

“After half a month of fierce fighting, Fuling and Jiejiang City of the Longxi Alliance fell multiple times changing hands until, at last, with the Justice Alliance and the four families joining forces, they took down Jiejiang City. The Chief of Jiejiang City, Tang Qian… died defending the city!”

“Dad!!!!”

Tang Zhen, who had been tightly clutching Tang Xing’s right arm, suddenly heard her father’s name, her eyes widened in shock, and after a scream of despair, she collapsed into Tang Xing’s arms, wailing bitterly.

“Damn!”

As if a surge of electricity shot up his spine, Tang Luo swore loudly as he stood up, pacing back and forth like an enraged lion.

“I knew it, I knew it; the clan chief didn’t deploy the troops according to the old strategies. Also, Duan Siping and Duan Zheng Yao, could just these two suppress Clan Lord Xiao? I don’t believe it! There’s something fishy about this battle; there must be!”

“No!” Tang Luo suddenly stopped pacing and, with a wave of his hand, declared, “I must return to Longxi!”

“I shall accompany you, son!” Tang Sen stood up and said gravely.

Tang Luo earnestly said, “If both of us were to appear on the battlefields of Longzhou, it is certain that people would come to question the estate. So, I ask that father stay in Yuanzhou, mother and the others still need someone to look after them.”

“Then, I will go.”

Clearly blaming himself for Tang Qian’s death, Tang Sen was eager to rush to the aid of Jiejiang City.

“Stop arguing, both of you go!”

Xu Shuhui suddenly spoke up, “Although I don’t know why the war in Longxi has turned out this way, neither one of you will be at peace staying here. Since that is the case, it might be better for you to go together.”

“But on one condition, since you father and son are going together, you must also come back together, okay?”

Towards the end, Xu Shuhui’s voice carried a plea. Tang Sen looked at his wife and was about to nod affirmatively when suddenly the sound of clashing swords rose to the sky from outside the courtyard.

The two men’s expressions changed as they pushed the door and emerged. The side courtyard of the Heavenly Phoenix Sword Saint Residence was enveloped by a dome formed by countless sword intents; through the gaps between the sword lights, they could see that these sword intents issued from the second and third-story windows of the distant White Jade Sword Pavilion.

Xu Changge stood outside the courtyard with an embarrassed expression, calling out to the Tang family inside the sword array, “The Sword Master has decreed that until the residence in the southern forty-nine districts is completed, the Tang lineage is not to leave the Heavenly Phoenix Sword Saint Residence.”

“`