Meanwhile, atop the canyon.
A trade caravan was underway. They were leading their horses, moving at a leisurely pace towards Lin'an County.
This trade caravan was from the Wanmin Trading Company, which had just returned from a trade expedition.
For any merchant association, each expedition might be short, lasting ten days to half a month, or it could be as long as one and a half years.
Each expedition would bring huge profits.
But traveling in the wilderness was often fraught with danger.
This time, the Wanmin Trading Company's expedition had brought back carriages full of grain.
Lin'an County was surrounded by mountains and was rich in various medicinal herbs, but it lacked a food supply.
Every year, food had to be bought from other places and sold in Lin'an County.
And this was a stable source of income for the Wanmin Trading Company.
Suddenly.
Jia Wandao's expression was startled.
Jiang Yuan? Did I hear that right?
He immediately raised his hand, "Steward Fu, tell them to stop!"
"President, what happened?"
"We rest in place for a while, and remember to keep quiet." Jia Wandao said solemnly.
"Yes, President!"
Next, Jia Wandao turned to a tall and thin man next to him, "Zhao Gong, did you hear the sound coming from there?"
Zhao Gong nodded gravely, "Jiang Yuan. Second boss. Something big might have happened down in the canyon."
"Correct! Shall we go and check?"
"Alright!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the two men acted immediately.
In the next moment, they came to the crown of a tree protruding outward from the top of the canyon.
When they saw the scene below, their faces were filled with shock.
"As I expected, Jiang Yuan has been intercepted by the leader of the Black Wind Stockade," Jia Wan said in a low voice.
"It seems like this prodigy Jiang Yuan may fall like a meteor!"
Jia Wandao shook his head.
"Not necessarily!"
"President, you have high expectations of Jiang Yuan?"
"Didn't you notice? He is out escorting. And it's clear escorting, showing off that he would attract the leader of the Black Wind Stockade."
"That's true!" Zhao Gong fell into contemplation: "So, Jiang Yuan must have something to rely on, but what can he rely on that would make him fearless against a top-level powerhouse who has reached the ninth stage of body forging?"
"Keep watching and you'll know, just make sure we aren't discovered!"
"President, don't worry! I've been in the pugilistic world for many years, I understand this point!"
At this moment.
The chief of the Black Wind Stockade stood on a bare rock.
Looking at the escort carriages surrounded by his underlings below, his eyes were filled with murderous intent.
On the other side.
The escort masters, seeing the coming wave of mountain bandits, immediately formed a defensive circle back-to-back, their swords out of their sheaths, radiating a cold light.
Their expressions are inevitably filled with tension.
They tightened their grip on their swords, their eyes fixed on the movements around them.
This was their first time escorting in their lives, and also the first time they had encountered mountain bandits blocking their way.
Moreover, the one blocking their way was a strong man in the ninth stage of body forging, and they were filled with unease.
Meanwhile, the profile of the Black Wind Stockade's chief appeared in Jiang Yuan's eyes.
[Name]: Ning Buqi
[Realm]: Body Forging Stage Nine
[Innate Destiny]: Fist and Palm Expert (White), Bronze Skin Iron Bones (White), Heart of Buddha (White)
[Fist and Palm Expert]: Possesses decent talent in the way of fist and palm.
[Bronze Skin Iron Bones]: Born with tough skin and bones like iron, far superior to ordinary people in resisting physical attacks.
[Heart of Buddha]: Has the sound of Buddha in the heart, easier to comprehend Buddhist techniques.
After seeing his profile, Jiang Yuan had only one thing to say.
Steady!
Then, with a hint of irony on his face, he said, "You really are a fool, have you ever wondered why I would go out knowing that you would come?"
Ning Buqi was stunned for a moment, and then he laughed loudly.
"Do you think you can bluff me when death is imminent? No matter what you say today, you must pay for my younger brother's life!"
Jiang Yuan shook his head, his eyes focused.
The next moment.
Ning Buqi's face suddenly changed drastically, and he said word by word, "Martial — Arts — Intent!"
"I underestimated you!"
Then, he looked up at the sky.
At this point, he was already trapped in Jiang Yuan's spiritual world.
The originally clear sky above his head had turned dark, with endless thunderclouds gathering above him.
The wind around him suddenly rose, and sand and stones were flying.
The sound of "cracks" came from the big trees one after another, and they were swept into the sky by the strong wind in a short while.
The bandits below were instantly in chaos, running around in horror.
Meanwhile, the well-prepared bodyguards suddenly looked surprised, extremely puzzled.
In their eyes, the Black Wind Stockade bandits, who were murderous just now, now suddenly seemed to have gone mad.
They threw away their helmets and armor, howled like ghosts and wolves, and ran around in place.
"What a strong Martial Arts Intent! Young Master has become stronger!" Gu Mo exclaimed with a look of awe.
On the other side, Ning Buqi suddenly shouted, "Don't be afraid!"
These three words were like a thunderbolt, exploding in the ears of the bandits.
It instantly brought them back to their senses.
They quickly looked up at the chief standing on the giant rock.
Ning Buqi continued, "What you see in front of you are all illusions, don't panic, wait for me to break his Martial Arts Intent."
Just at this moment.
Boom!
A loud rumbling noise came from above, and the world suddenly turned white.
A thick lightning bolt fell from the sky and landed in the crowd of bandits.
The crowd was instantly in chaos. When they came to their senses.
Their faces instantly turned incredibly fearful, trembling uncontrollably.
They saw their comrades who had just been hit by the lightning, now turned into several charred corpses.
"This is not an illusion! This is real, this is God punishing us!"
Someone immediately broke down and howled.
Meanwhile, the thunder was rolling overhead, and the rumbling sound was continuous.
Boom—
One lightning bolt after another tore through the sky and descended from the sky.
"You dare!" Ning Buqi shouted, "Watch me break your Martial Arts Intent illusion."
As soon as he finished speaking, he put his hands together.
A dazzling golden light suddenly appeared on his body.
A golden Buddha formed behind him, growing larger and larger as if it was going to break through the sky and earth.
Jiang Yuan smiled, "All show and no go!"
In the past month, since his Intent of the Wind Thunder Sword Technique was close to perfection.
Through the tempering of Martial Arts Intent, the speed of his spirit's growth surprised even him.
Compared to before, it was a multiple increase. His Martial Arts Intent was not something that Ning Buqi could break.
The next moment.
With a movement of his thoughts.
The thunderclouds in the sky suddenly changed and quickly gathered above Ning Buqi's head.
In an instant, a red and white thunderbolt fell from the sky, illuminating the mountains and forests like daylight.
"Come on!" Ning Buqi shouted.
The Buddha image behind him merged with him and slowly slapped the sky.
This scene seemed to be a palm against the sky, but in reality, it was a collision of Martial Arts Intent and a collision of spiritual power.
Boom—
With a loud noise.
The golden Buddha stood still, looking unscathed.
Ning Buqi suddenly laughed loudly, "Jiang Yuan, your Martial Arts Intent is just so! If this is all you can do, you will be buried here today to pay for my brother's life!"