Volume 1, Chapter 51 – Heaven-Scorching Three Halberds

After chatting for a while, Shi Lan learned that Jiang Li’s wife’s surname was Tang and her given name was Yan. When she was young, she and Jiang Li had been fellow disciples who learned the martial path together, so she counted as Jiang Li’s junior martial sister.

Tang Yan’s strength wasn’t particularly high, only at the fourth stage of the Body Tempering Realm, but that was enough to handle ordinary trouble.

“With my wife looking after things along the way, Brother Shi can set your mind at ease.”

After bringing Tang Yan over to recognize Shi Lan, Jiang Li thumped his chest and gave his assurance, then left with his wife and children.

Shi Lan sat for a while, then rose and left the room. She asked the two maids to look after Shi Feng, then walked toward the main gates of the City Lord’s Manor—she wanted to make a trip back to the clinic.

The high platform at the manor gate was still set up, and quite a few unfamiliar martial artists had passed the test and were now standing at the entrance.

Yesterday, many martial artists had still been watching from the shadows. When they saw that someone had actually received the bounty, they could no longer sit still. As a result, more people had passed the selection today than yesterday.

The Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers guarding the gate only asked Shi Lan where she was going before letting her leave the City Lord’s Manor. They didn’t send anyone to follow her, as if they were no longer too concerned about whether news might leak out.

Shi Lan made her way straight back to the clinic. When Du Baisheng saw her return, he hurriedly apologized to the patients who had yet to be seen, then closed the clinic.

Shi Lan briefly explained that the Yunxiao Treasure Warship would be arriving tomorrow. As for what would happen to the rest of the common folk in the city, she didn’t go into detail. Du Baisheng seemed to understand in his heart and didn’t press further.

“Brother Shi Lan, you’re not coming with us?” Du Yue’er asked from the side.

Shi Lan shook her head.

“Then you’ll still be staying in Twin Moon City? How can that be good?” Du Baisheng frowned and spoke up.

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“For the time being, Twin Moon City is still safe. Tomorrow, you just need to board the ship and leave. The Demon-Suppressing Army will withdraw before long as well, and when they do, I’ll leave with them.” Shi Lan casually came up with an excuse.

Du Yue’er believed her immediately. Du Baisheng, however, was half doubtful. But since Shi Lan had already said as much, he couldn’t keep asking.

Shi Lan didn’t stay long. After saying what needed to be said, she slung her bundle over her back, picked up the long case holding the Purple Star Seven-Section Halberd, and left the clinic.

After Shi Lan left, Du Baisheng pulled Du Yue’er along to begin packing their things.

…

Squeezing through the crowd gathered around, Shi Lan entered the City Lord’s Manor and returned to her room.

Shi Feng still showed no sign of waking. Ever since he’d regained consciousness the night before last, he had been sleeping continuously.

Putting the long case down on the couch, Shi Lan opened the lid.

Looking at the Purple Star Seven-Section Halberd, now split into two pieces, Shi Lan slowly ran her hand along the haft. With her current strength, the halberd’s weight could no longer be called a heavy burden. She could just barely wield it.

But she didn’t know any halberd techniques and had never used a long weapon before. Using it on the battlefield would still be somewhat forced.

Just as Shi Lan was feeling a bit regretful, Samsara’s voice sounded faintly. “I can teach you a method of halberd control.”

“You’re going to teach me? Don’t tell me you’ve used a war halberd before?” Shi Lan was a little surprised.

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“Several of my previous hosts used war halberds as their weapons, so I have a few sets of halberd arts here.”

Shi Lan paused for a moment. “You’ve bound many hosts before? How did they end up in the end?”

“Some died halfway along the road; others grew strong. But of those who lived to the very end and voluntarily severed their contract with the system, fewer than one in ten.”

“And those who grew strong—where are they now?” Her curiosity stirred, Shi Lan asked.

“I don’t know,” Samsara replied blandly, then added, “I’ve picked out a halberd art that suits you better.”

As soon as the words fell, a stream of information poured into Shi Lan’s mind. The halberd art was called 《Heaven-Scorching Three Halberds》 and contained only three moves:

First Halberd: Mortals Perish;

Second Halberd: Immortals Fall;

Third Halberd: Heaven Burns!

Each of the three moves contained twelve variations, incomparably profound.

This stream of information didn’t contain any Martial Dao insight, so when Shi Lan tried to memorize it, she felt somewhat unfamiliar with it, finding it a bit obscure and difficult to understand.

“All I have are the training methods for the forms, not any cultivation experience. As for the many variations contained within, you’ll have to figure them out yourself.”

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“Thank you. Having the method is already enough.”

Just having a direction was enough to satisfy Shi Lan.

After more or less committing this stream of information to memory, Shi Lan couldn’t help asking, “What became of the host who practiced this halberd art?”

“I helped him become the sovereign of a world. With his consent, the system took half of his origin, then lifted the bond and severed the karmic ties between us.” Samsara’s tone didn’t waver in the slightest, utterly indifferent.

Shi Lan fell silent for a while and didn’t speak again. She closed her eyes, and her consciousness sank into the virtual space.

“Combat simulation: begin. Generate ten Ironback Wolves.”

“Environment simulation: outskirts of Twin Moon City.”

The blank white space twisted, turning into a stretch of wilderness. Ten Ironback Wolves, each nearly seven feet long, stared at Shi Lan with glowing green eyes, surrounding her.

At a thought, Shi Lan raised her hand. A flush of violet light condensed, and the Purple Star Seven-Section Halberd appeared in her grasp.

The ten Ironback Wolves circled her a few times, then lunged at her in unison!

“Whoosh—”

Shi Lan swung the war halberd in her hands, and a shrill sound of rending air rang out. With the strength of her body now, she had nearly a thousand jin of force. The nearly three-hundred-jin war halberd in her hands traced out afterimages in the air.

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Any Ironback Wolf struck by the halberd haft had its tendons snapped and bones shattered, sent flying nearly ten zhang away. Those touched by the halberd blade—despite their tough hides—were sliced open as if they were paper. Their bones inside were likewise severed cleanly in two, the wounds smooth as a mirror!

In only a few breaths, all ten Ironback Wolves had lost their ability to fight and dissolved into motes of light that scattered.

After only a few breaths of wielding the war halberd, Shi Lan was already slightly out of breath, having spent quite a bit of energy. Fortunately, with the Jade Tempering Art to aid her, she soon recovered completely.

Reviewing the battle just now and comparing it to the power-exertion techniques in the first move of the Heaven-Scorching Three Halberds, Shi Lan fell into thought. Some of her strength hadn’t landed on the Ironback Wolves at all, instead being wasted on the halberd itself.

The key point of the first move of the Heaven-Scorching Three Halberds was not to let the war halberd become a burden, but to use it as leverage to make her strength even greater.

After thinking it over for a while, Shi Lan threw herself into the combat simulation again. This time, the number of Ironback Wolves increased to twenty.

…

When Shi Lan opened her eyes again, it was already midnight, the room pitch-black.

She lit the candle and lay back on the couch, savoring the gains she’d made in the combat space. In her last battle, the number of Ironback Wolves had already reached two hundred and fifty. After she’d slain more than a hundred and seventy of them, she was torn to pieces by the pack.

As their numbers increased, the Ironback Wolves’ strength underwent a qualitative change. Once wolves formed a pack, their combat power soared geometrically.

Just as Shi Lan was deep in thought, two soft coughs interrupted her. Shi Feng had woken up.