Dongying.
In a martial arts school.
An old man with a stooped figure looked at the body of Nangu Taichi lying on the floor, his eyes filled with a hint of sorrow.
He was Nangu Taichi's master, Miyamoto Musashi.
He was also the former Dongying Sword Saint, now the most unfathomable and fearsome person within Dongying's martial arts realm.
"Master, please accept our condolences."
The other disciples of Miyamoto Musashi, kneeling at the side, spoke with grief-stricken voices.
Miyamoto Musashi remained silent, without a word, his gaze fixated on the disciple he had pinned high hopes on, who had the potential to breakthrough martial arts conventions, to ascend to the God Realm, now lying motionless before him.
After a long while.
Miyamoto Musashi took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled, forming a nearly one-meter-long stream of white breath that stayed cohesive, lasting for ten seconds before dissipating.
This was an indication of his profoundly cultivated inner strength.
He had transformed the martial artist's "energy" into the Taoist's "qi"!
He was on the brink of transitioning from martial arts to a Taoist path, stepping into the God Realm.
"Who did it?!"
Miyamoto Musashi asked in a low tone, his voice neither sad nor joyful.
The disciples looked up upon hearing his voice, exchanging glances, then the one leading spoke, "It should be the work of the New Dragon King of the Dragon King Hall from Huaxia."
"The New Dragon King? Why would he kill Taichi?!" Miyamoto Musashi's eyes narrowed as he asked in a deep voice.
The disciple organized his words, then said, "It is said that the Old Dragon King of Dragon King Hall and Cain of Fallen Splendor perished together in the Eastern Sea. Therefore, this New Dragon King began to hold a worldwide grudge against those of Fallen Splendor, wreaking havoc everywhere. And right here in Dongying, there happened to be a branch of Fallen Splendor hidden away. Just yesterday, the New Dragon King came and obliterated it, not leaving a single one alive..."
Pausing, he continued, "At that time, Senior Nangu just happened to be nearby. Seeing the commotion, he took it upon himself to challenge this New Dragon King, only to...who knew the New Dragon King would strike with such lethal force!"
The disciple had barely finished speaking!
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
All the blades housed within the martial arts school began to resonate, chiming in unison as Miyamoto Musashi clenched his fists.
The ringing persisted until Miyamoto Musashi suppressed the fury in his heart, and only then did it gradually cease.
"Tiance True Dragon, this is too much!"
"Matsuo, book a plane ticket. Prepare to set out for Huaxia!"
"It's been many years since I've set foot on this land. Has Dragon King Hall truly forgotten the name Miyamoto Musashi? Heh... well, from today onward, I shall make them recall those memories of despair!"
As Miyamoto Musashi's last words fell, all the samurai swords on the nearby racks shattered, countless fragments flying wildly through the air, puncturing the martial arts school with holes everywhere.
And the only item remaining unscathed was a samurai sword emitting a cold, chilling glow.
This sword, named Onimaru Kunitsuna, was one of the renowned swords of Dongying!
...
Northern Canada.
Victoria Island.
Named after Queen Victoria, it is the second largest island in the Arctic Archipelago.
The Mediterranean climate makes Victoria Island mild, sunny, with little rain and a pleasant living environment, making it a suitable place for tourism all year round.
In the northwest part of the island, Holman, where the human presence is scarce, there is a vast estate.
Looking inside, one could see innumerable researchers dressed in white lab coats, glasses, masks, and gloves moving around in various rooms.
And inside the rooms, there were all sorts of precise instruments and culture tanks filled with nutrient solutions, with inhuman-looking beings lying inside.
This place was a very important research branch of Withered Tree Quest for Spring.
At this time, several helicopters slowly flew in from the distance towards the Withered Tree Quest for Spring branch location.
When they neared, they gradually lowered their altitude and, at about fifty meters above the ground, the cabin doors opened, and one by one, people violently jumped out, spreading their arms like birds, soaring downwards!
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
They leaped from fifty meters in the air, smashing into the ground creating deep pits, yet their bodies remained unscathed. With knees bent, they forcefully leaped out of the pits and then began to run swiftly through the estate, which was now blaring with alarms.
These people were members of Dragon King Hall, and among them were thirteen elite warriors, three of the Twenty-Eight Star Lords, and one Beidou Star General!
It was the Yaoguang Hall Master, Jian Ruyan!
Jian Ruyan, dressed in flowing white robes, arms crossed over her chest holding a sheathed longsword, looked indifferently upon various creatures rushing from the base that looked like a cross between wolves and humans.
As for the elite warriors of the Dragon King Hall, they simply held a dagger and swiftly dodged the werewolves' attacks, then, with a slice of the blade, cut through their throats.
Causing them to gaze wide-eyed, clutching their throats, and falling to the ground dead!
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
At that moment, more people came out wielding laser guns, firing towards the group of Dragon King Hall warriors.
Seeing this, the warriors quickly ceased their strikes and began to sidestep to dodge.
Fortunately, their martial arts were profound; otherwise, it would have been very difficult to avoid the lethally powerful laser guns.
Even so, they found it challenging to launch an attack on the genetically modified persons, only able to dodge as they watched them close in.
"Whoosh!"
At that moment, a beam of ice-blue laser shot towards Jian Ruyan, who stood still.
The person shooting the gun, looking at Jian Ruyan, had a maniacal smile spread across his face.
It seemed he was about to witness the long-awaited sight of her demise.
However.
Just as the laser beam was about to hit Jian Ruyan, she, expressionless, slightly bent her body, allowing it to brush past her shoulder, without causing any harm or even raising goosebumps on the skin of her neck, as if she had no instinctual reaction to the face of death at all!
The researcher who fired the shot was so shocked his glasses nearly fell off.
He couldn't imagine someone so fearless of death, yet also able to cheat it so successfully.
"Clang!"
After dodging the laser beam, Jian Ruyan, without any expression, drew her sword from its sheath.
Then, with a step, she instantly moved with a terrifying speed of ten meters per second, leaving behind countless afterimages, and charged to the man's side, slashing with her sword!
"Whoosh!"
The bright gleam of the sword burst forth, accompanied by the spurt of crimson blood, which bloomed tragically in the air.
And with it, the withering of life.
"Bang!"
It was only after the researcher fell to the ground that he was decapitated.
Jian Ruyan, having initiated a killing spree, swept her icy gaze over the people from Withered Tree Quest for Spring who struggled in the throes of death, no longer holding back. With a shift of her footsteps and a flash of her sword, another spray of blood bloomed, another life withered away.
Soon.
Five minutes later.
All the staff and the genetically modified persons within the estate were killed by Jian Ruyan's sword, and the few that weren't dead yet were finished off by the Dragon King Hall warriors.
Afterwards, they took away the materials inside and then set fire to the estate.
And such scenes were successively happening all over the world.
On this day, the research and experimental bases of Withered Tree Quest for Spring situated around the world were all destroyed by the Dragon King Hall!