CHAPTER 653: CHAPTER 253: HE STANDS THERE LIKE MAJESTIC MOUNTAINS. (13K WORDS)

Regarding this journey, Ji Jingqiu initially did not know whether to hold any expectations.

As he truly stepped into the "world" of the Western Federation, he gradually fell silent.

During this time, he received a phone call from Yang Yan.

On the other end of the line, Yang Yan sighed and told him—

"With my level of cultivation, I can’t really offer you any guidance anymore, but I’ve always felt that a Martial Artist, no matter where they go, should always understand one thing—who wields the fist."

Ji Jingqiu’s mind was clear, the Dragon Tiger Dojo had obviously come under some "pressure" from certain forces, but Master Yang and the others had no plans to pass this pressure on to him; instead, they supported his decision.

He thanked Master Yang and continued forward.

On this day.

Ji Jingqiu passed through a serene small town that had stood through years, which was home to two of the hundred veins, Kowloon and Floating Hill.

Both veins had long lost their past glory, with at most one Heart Image Warrior.

A single Heart Image was barely qualified in such a war-torn area to guard a modicum of peace.

"The Floating Hill and Kowloon veins, they can’t save the people of the Western lands, they can only save this one town, making the brethren of the Dragon Tiger Dojo laugh."

The leading old Heart Image Warrior sighed and personally welcomed Ji Jingqiu. During the visit, he coughed softly, with a faint scent of herbal medicine lingering in the room.

Ji Jingqiu took out a stalk of Great Medicine from his suspended microcosm, and despite the elder’s reluctance, insisted on leaving it behind.

He discussed the Dao with the two veins, witnessing the Martial Arts inheritance of Kowloon and Floating Hill, turning into two stars shining within his Inner Heaven and Earth.

While visiting, Ji Jingqiu noticed that both veins had taken in many homeless youths.

In the courtyard, there were youths reading, others learning the Ancient Method of meditation, and some chasing and playing in a corner - such a harmonious scene was enough to relax the spirit.

Although these youths had lost their families, here, they still brimmed with the vigor of young people, and were "protected" well.

Even though life was filled with hardship, they remained upbeat.

"Federation Martial Arts have too rapid a progression in the early stages, causing extreme damage to the body, so practice often starts only at the age of sixteen, and before that, traditional teachings of the veins are to first learn to be human."

The old vein leader of Kowloon, Qiu Zhao, said smilingly as he introduced the customs to Ji Jingqiu. He watched the youths reading, playing, and sitting in meditation in the courtyard, as if the weariness in his heart had been somewhat alleviated.

And he was the "Guardian" of these youths.

Ji Jingqiu was aware that humans of the Federation, compared to other races, were at a complete disadvantage in physique and virtually lacked any bloodline inheritance.

Before cultivation, Martial Artists could hardly improve their physique through various technological means.

This was also related to the "curse" of the Three Demons.

Qiu Guan sighed:

"That’s why the Seven Marshals and even the Grandmasters of the Hundred Veins once said, first learn to be human, then learn the martial arts. Only with a strong spirit can one control the sudden surge of power, otherwise, it’s easy to take the wrong path."

Ji Jingqiu had heard a saying, that the Western Federation produced many geniuses.

It had been calculated that Martial Artists who left the Western lands excelled in Spiritual Cultivation far more than those from other regions, and there were also those who deviated from the norm.

He had been curious, and on this journey, he had found his answer.

One day.

Ji Jingqiu walked on foot through a city that was almost in ruins, which had just suffered an attack by the "rebel army."

He helped the local people clear the ruins and rescue those buried underneath.

"Excuse me, are you Ji Jingqiu? The prodigy Ji Jingqiu from the Dragon Tiger Dojo?"

As he passed by, a middle-aged man with disbelief in his eyes, almost trembling, reached out and firmly grasped him.

In that moment, the middle-aged man’s eyes burst with a heat and brightness comparable to the sun, causing even Ji Jingqiu to glance aside, while the former was merely a common person with a slight Martial Arts cultivation.

He said he was a reporter, from the central region, they had taken many sets of photos here, but since the Western region had long implemented an information blockade, they wanted to use Ji Jingqiu’s channel to send them out.

"These photos, they can definitely help the Federation citizens of the Western lands! Mr. Ji, please help us!"

He became somewhat incoherent at the end.

Ji Jingqiu agreed to his request, and through his terminal, sent these photos to the Martial Artists’ forum. This move was unexpected, as most of the Western region’s external communication channels had been blocked, all the people.

Amid the middle-aged man’s ecstatic dancing, Ji Jingqiu silently looked at the photos on the terminal.

He didn’t stop there but continued to move forward.

One day he passed through a Wilderness, and the people there recognized him. They warmly invited Ji Jingqiu into their underground bunker, and he did not refuse.

Ji Jingqiu was curious about them, and they were curious about Ji Jingqiu as well, wondering why the Federation’s currently most dazzling Martial Arts rising star would appear in such a place.

From them, Ji Jingqiu learned that usually all of their daily necessities came from a logistics company that provided them along the way.

"Those people don’t take money, saying that their boss is doing it as an act of kindness, all good people..."

An elder mumbled.

Later, a girl pulled him to a gravestone, where she proudly said that the person buried inside was her father, who was once one of the most talented Martial Artists of the Federation, just like Ji Jingqiu.

Ji Jingqiu linked to his terminal, and found the information of the Martial Artist mentioned by the girl. A photo with a bright smile appeared before his eyes.

"Congratulations to Yan Chengrui of the Beicang Commerce Alliance on obtaining the Heavenly Sword Title!"

The Heavenly Sword Title meant that this person had once stood at a position equal to that of Leng Dao, one of the seven most pinnacle young people of an era in the Federation.