Stronger by Killing

Chapter 586: Chapter 323: Martial Arts vs. Cultivation

Since the descent of the Immortal Sects into the world, there has been chaos across the Nine Provinces of the Xia Kingdom, with Yunzhou being the only exception, maintaining a sense of aloofness and naturally attracting attention from all over the world.

However, everyone believed that Yunzhou was merely lucky and that chaos was inevitable. It wouldn’t take long before it encounters the descent of the Immortal Sects like the other eight provinces.

As it turns out, events unfolded as expected,

The once peaceful Yunzhou fell into chaos overnight,

The troops at Celestial Decree Pass mutinied, and an Immortal Sect named Luoyun Sect swiftly suppressed the military station. Immediately after, the Gu Family unilaterally announced its withdrawal from Prince Wu’s Mansion. Concurrently, numerous Yunzhou forces responded to the Gu Family’s call, many of which were powerful factions that had obtained the Method of Divine Sight. On the other side, the Yunxi Martial Arts Alliance accused King Wu, Gu Zhan, of secretly controlling the Royal Family and causing chaos across the land, citing the proof of the deposed Empress Lü Wantang holding the Emperor’s secret decree inviting the Yanyue Sect to eliminate national traitors.

Subsequently, the Spirit Control Sect, Yanyue Sect, and Luoyun Sect, three major Immortal Sects, declared that Martial Arts were heretical, the root cause of the world’s chaos and human suffering, and should not exist in the world. Gu Zhan, as the originator of the Method of Divine Sight breaking through the limits of Martial Arts, was labeled as the root of all evil.

When the three major Immortal Sects voiced this slogan,

Immortal Sects across the world responded in unison, proclaiming the abolition of Martial Arts, declaring that Martial Arts were the source of all evil, inherently destructive to order and rules, and demanded a worldwide ban on Martial Arts, causing an uproar. More eerily, this trend swept through all nations in just a few days.

In response, human forces with Immortal Sect backgrounds, such as the Qu Zhao Kong Family of the Xia Kingdom, the Ming Family on Bright Moon Island, and the Quanzhen Sect of Southern Jin, chose to remain silent. Some of these forces even led efforts to destroy Martial Arts Secret Manuals.

This trend’s emergence triggered panic among countless people.

Although the recent descent of the Immortal Sects has directly crushed the three-thousand-year-old Martial Arts era, martial cultivation itself, after all, comprises mostly Martial Artists and has the lowest threshold.

With Martial Arts being deemed heretical overnight, those practitioners naturally became heretics as well!

In Yunzhou, at Price Wu’s Mansion.

The commotion caused by the Immortal Sects was so significant that it reached Prince Wu’s Mansion, which received the news of Martial Arts being denounced as heretical by the Immortal Sects.

In a long corridor of Prince Wu’s Mansion, Rong Yichu and Kou Baimen were carrying some intelligence reports toward Gu Zhan’s courtyard.

Rong Yichu’s face showed a serious expression. He said, "The three major Immortal Sects targeted our Lord with such a significant commotion!"

Kou Baimen said, "If we can survive this calamity, Prince Wu’s Mansion will experience a great surge. Martial Artists across the world will view Prince Wu’s Mansion as the last pure land of Martial Arts. With more people, naturally, there will be more talents. Under our Lord’s leadership, Martial Arts might just become the fourth ancestral lineage in the Human World."

Rong Yichu nodded and sighed, "But it has been tough for the Gu Family!"

Kou Baimen shook his head and said, "It’s only tough for the siblings, Gu Chuan and Gai Qingcheng. Gu Chuan almost really planned on committing suicide for your scheme. If not for Gai Qingcheng breaking through to the Divine Sight Realm at the last moment and using Divine Sight methods to help Gu Chuan fake his death deceiving the Spirit Control Sect and those fickle-minded people in the Gu Family, Gu Chuan would have truly committed suicide."

Rong Yichu said, "Gu Chuan seems free-spirited, but in reality, loyalty and righteousness are principles he has adhered to all his life."

Kou Baimen laughed, "Aren’t you the same?"

Rong Yichu smiled slightly without saying a word.

Kou Baimen pondered for a while and said, "Mr. Rong, at this point, you should let me in on what you planned by having Gai Qingcheng ostensibly align with the Spirit Control Sect."

Rong Yichu contemplated for quite some time before speaking, "Actually, I’ve always been worried about one issue: Prince Wu’s Mansion developed too quickly. Although there have been multiple screenings, it remains a mix of good and bad, and these people will form the foundation of Prince Wu’s Mansion’s development. I’m very concerned that one day, when the high towers are built, the foundation might be rotten, and the towers would collapse!

Coincidentally, the descent of the Immortal Sects this time gave me an opportunity. At just the right time, Gai Qingcheng secretly reached out to me. The Gu Family was selected by the Spirit Control Sect, and too many within the Gu Family had short-sighted views, including the Gu Family Ancestor and the newly advanced Divine Sight Experts, who were blinded by the temporary benefits brought by the descent of the Immortal Sects and intended to betray Prince Wu’s Mansion!"

Kou Baimen raised an eyebrow and said, "That wretched woman, Qingcheng, wasn’t blinded? It’s the favor of the Immortal Sects, after all! Everyone knows in this era that this age will definitely be the era of the Cultivators, and the Gu Family hitching a ride with the Cultivation Realm at the start of the era is certainly a great fortune passed down through the ages. She’s not moved by it?"

Rong Yichu chuckled softly, "It’s not that she’s not moved, but she sees further ahead."

"How so?" Kou Baimen asked.

Rong Yichu said, "Gai Qingcheng understands one thing: with the Cultivators entering the world, Martial Arts cannot coexist. The growth of Martial Arts could potentially destabilize the Cultivation Realm, and they simply cannot tolerate such heresy.

Martial Arts have low entry requirements and demand relatively fewer resources compared to cultivation, and most importantly, the time required for practice is much shorter. In cultivation, achieving a Grotto Heaven in a hundred years is considered a genius. But with Martial Arts, achieving Divine Sight in just a few decades is entirely possible.

The current disadvantage compared to cultivation lies first in the upper limit; the top level of Martial Arts is only in our Lord, and the others are mostly just at Divine Sight, and secondly, the most crucial point, the issue of lifespan; the Divine Sight Realm does not extend lifespan, which cannot match with cultivation.