A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 121 Soaring Sword Amidst the Wind and Clouds
Tianhua Prefecture

On a high peak a thousand miles away from Shenglong Town, Lang Rong, one of the four generals of the demon race, was leading a little demon to throw pieces of yellow crystals into the furnace.

Each time the material is added, a wisp of odorless yellow smoke is produced inside the furnace, rising into the air and merging with the previous wisps of smoke, continuously dissipating in all directions.

"With this bewitching smoke, the god-making plan in Shenglong Town can finally be put on the agenda."

Lang Rong looked at the yellow smoke in the sky with satisfaction. With this, those mortals would not hesitate to build temples and worship the demon race, using human popularity to create gods belonging to the demon race.

"However, we still need to be careful when dealing with the Supreme Dao and the Imperial Sword Manor."

Although it was done in secret, the Supreme Daoist might not be unaware of the mystery involved. If he knew that he was the one manipulating everything behind the scenes, he might send someone to eliminate the hidden danger.

"It's time to shift our focus. As for the Imperial Sword Manor, we'll use the government offices to tie their hands."

Looking at the few remaining crystals, Lang Rong waved his hand and threw them all into the furnace, then added more force.

"Langxi, take them to the place we agreed on beforehand and leave this place as soon as possible."

"Yes," Lang Xi replied, accepting the order. He led the demons away, and soon he was the only one left on the entire peak.

As Lang Rong watched the furnace grow increasingly red, a glint flashed in his eyes. He gave a soft shout, and several beams of green light shot into the furnace. A loud explosion followed, and the furnace suddenly burst open. Lang Rong quickly withdrew from the furnace at the moment of the explosion.

After the explosion, half of the peak collapsed, and rubble rolled down. The yellow cloud of smoke on top was violently churning a few times due to the shockwave, and then moved toward Shenglong Town at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Just as the explosion rang out, in a secluded cave, the Supreme Dao Master Si Ningdao gazed eastward, made a calculation with his fingers, and after a moment, his face turned cold.

"You're truly courting death! How dare you demons! Wasn't your crushing defeat a few months ago enough to teach you a lesson?"

Since taking up residence in Tianhua Prefecture, Wushangdao has long regarded it as its own territory, and has then carried out a large-scale purge of various forces, among which the deepest grudge is with the demon race.

Although Lang Rong was quite powerful, he couldn't fight alone, especially since it was an away game. After several bloody battles, the demon race suffered heavy losses, especially in the most recent one, where even Lang Rong was seriously injured by Ning Dao. If he hadn't used his life-saving methods, he would be a wolf in sheep's clothing now.

"Pass on my order: summon Wei Feng, Meng Yu, and Wang Xiao to see me."

Upon hearing this, the accompanying disciple immediately agreed, and soon Wei Feng and his two companions arrived.

"Greetings, Chief Inspector," the three bowed respectfully.

"The demon race has extended its reach to Shenglong Town. That place cannot be lost. The three of you will accompany the disciples to handle it. I grant you permission to act as you see fit and eliminate the demon threat. I will remember your great service."

Upon hearing this, Wei Feng and the other two showed delight and immediately agreed.

After giving a few more instructions, Ning Dao dismissed them and then turned to walk to the outside of a dark stone cave. After announcing his arrival, Ning Dao met Dao Master Qi Feng.

"Master, the demon race's release of bewitching smoke this time seems to be related to their god-making plan. I have already sent people to deal with it."

Qi Feng opened his eyes and said, "Old Demon Qingshan has quite the ambition. The god-making plan in Tianhua Prefecture is just the surface; he has already secretly laid out his plans in the other three prefectures."

"Your Majesty, disciples from the other states have indeed reported discovering traces of demons. Furthermore, there are also demonic cultivators in Nanling State. Based on the portraits sent, it seems to be Ge Zhen, one of the four protectors under the Demon Lord."

"Hmm, both the demon and monster factions have made their moves. Excellent. I was afraid they wouldn't act. This is exactly what I wanted. Ning Dao, Tianhua Prefecture is the essence of the Nine Provinces. We cannot allow any mishaps. As for the other prefectures, they can rely on their own abilities. Issue my Dao decree: all those who have received the teachings of my Supreme Dao will be guaranteed a safe life."

"Disciple obeys the order," Ning Dao thought with a burning passion in his heart. With the Dao Lord's command, he would no longer feel so constrained in his actions. With the human race, the Supreme Dao would only grow stronger.

"By the way, is there any news about that mysterious Taoist priest?" Qi Feng was most unpredictable about Gu Xu, who was a major variable.

"Reporting to the Daoist Master, this person has been heading south since leaving the Valley of Broken Souls, but his exact whereabouts are difficult to ascertain."

"Well, you can't blame yourself for that. This person's cultivation is no less than mine. If he wanted to conceal his presence, you wouldn't have been able to detect him. Head south; are there any dangerous places there?"

Based on the clues provided by He Fang and the others, Qi Feng deduced that Gu Xu was looking for something like a soldier's spirit. There were many soldier pits in the south of Tianhua Prefecture, so could this person be there?

"There are many dangerous places in the south, but the most dangerous is Guimang Mountain. It was a forbidden area long ago and was sealed by a master. Daoist Master, do you think this Daoist might have gone there?"

“Not impossible,” Qi Feng calculated with his fingers. Half an hour had passed when he found a clue. Suddenly, Qi Feng’s expression changed. He hurriedly activated the Blood Skull. A hazy blood light enveloped Qi Feng. Just as Ning Dao was puzzled, a golden sword suddenly appeared in the cave and slashed fiercely. With a loud bang, the blood light and the golden sword canceled each other out, but half of the cave collapsed.

Ning Dao stared in shock at the Dao Lord, only to see that Qi Feng's face was extremely pale. Although he was not injured, the left sleeve of his robe was torn to shreds.

"Dao Master, this..." Ning Dao forced himself to calm down, but as soon as he spoke, he realized it was inappropriate and stopped himself.

This was clearly the Taoist's doing. It seems that this person's skill is far above that of the Taoist Master. If it weren't for the Blood Skull, the consequences would have been hard to predict.

"Ning Dao, wherever this person is, all disciples of the Supreme Dao must leave immediately. We must not offend him. Alas, I now realize there are heavens beyond heavens. This person's skill has reached the pinnacle of creation; I wonder what he's doing here."

Having already been at a disadvantage in just one move, and having suffered the backlash of the blood curse, Qi Feng no longer had any intention of being hostile to him. It was best to keep such a powerful figure at a distance. Regardless of his relationship with the Tong family, as long as he didn't provoke him, the Supreme Daoist would pretend he hadn't seen him.

"Disciple understands, Dao Master. Do you think we might encounter this person on the demon and monster sides?"

"Heh, we don't need to worry about it. Judging from this person's personality, the demon and monster factions probably won't fare well. Remember, don't try to use someone else to do your dirty work; you can't fathom what that person is thinking."

Ning Dao hurriedly agreed. After a while, seeing that the Daoist Master had no further instructions, he bowed again and left the cave.

Imperial Sword Manor
The yellow smoke had been there for several days, but the government office hadn't made a single move. Yin Zhong had asked Meng Fan, who replied, "Chief Wang has issued a gag order, so I don't know much either, but it's ultimately related to that wolf demon."

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhong fell into deep thought and remained silent. Although he had never seen the wolf demon, he knew that the other party would not do anything in vain; it must have a purpose, and it must pose a great threat to people.

"Brother Meng, in your opinion, how long will it take for that yellow smoke to spread?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, we should arrive at Thang Long Town in about three days."

Yin Zhong nodded. Meng Fan's prediction was accurate, but according to his own calculations, the yellow smoke would spread faster and faster, reaching the skies above Shenglong Town in less than two days, and enveloping the entire town in a day. This was definitely not good news.

"Brother Meng, it seems we can't count on the yamen (government office); we'll have to find a way ourselves."

"Mr. Yin suspects that the yellow smoke will arrive in the next two days. We should try our best to evacuate those who are willing to leave. We can't just sit and wait to die. I'll trouble Brother Meng to hold off the officials for now."

Although they knew the government was doing nothing, they might try to sabotage them if they found out they were dispersing the crowd. These people were incompetent, but they were full of ways to cause trouble in secret.

Yin Zhong is not a bloodthirsty person now, and he does not want to take extreme measures. If this were before his memories were sealed, he would have already cleaved this corrupt government office in two with a single sword.

"Brother Yin, I can only say I'll do my best with the yamen. There are a few strange people around Steward Wang now; they're probably the wolf demon's subordinates."

If he had encountered the wolf demon before, Meng Fan would never have said such a thing, but he was still somewhat confident in dealing with a few minor demons. With the treasures given to him by Yin Zhong, he could still delay them for two or three days.

Thank you for everything.

Meng Fan bowed respectfully, clasped his hands in farewell, and took his leave.

……，……

Guimang Valley uses the Zhenbei Stele as a protective barrier, resealing the entire mountain range. Now, with the Zhou Tian Xing Compass repairing the earth's core inside and the Zhenbei Stele sealing the valley outside, it is safe to ensure absolute safety.

"I can wait for the watermill to finish. Now, only the other two places are missing. As long as the four Yin Sha military spirit lands are sealed, Tianhua Prefecture can be kept safe. In the future, when we face a great calamity, we won't have to suffer multiple calamities at once."

The great calamity five hundred years from now will not only be a natural disaster, but also a combination of terrestrial calamity and man-made disaster. The aura of war is already growing stronger, and the earth's energy is beginning to rise and fall. In the next few hundred years, it will only become more and more intense. Right now, Gu Xu can only take care of one side, and the others can only be put aside for the time being.

"The demon race creates false gods to collect worship and feed on humans. Demonic cultivators collect the blood of living beings to refine blood demons, aiming to transform the Pure Spirit into the Demon Realm. The Supreme Dao bewitches all living beings. Ha, they've all made cunning plans. I have important matters to attend to now. Once I resolve the issue of the earth's veins, I will eliminate you all one by one."

As the last rune was applied to the town monument, it shone brightly. Simultaneously, runes on the mountain wall echoed, with golden threads connecting them to lock down all four directions of the Soul Imprisonment Ridge, preventing the nascent spiritual energy from leaking out.

"Time to move on to the next place."

Gu Xu's figure flashed away, and when he reappeared, he was already a hundred miles away at the foot of the mountain. In front of him was a sizable village, where wisps of smoke were rising from the chimneys.

Seeing nothing strange about the village, Gu Xu was about to leave when he suddenly looked westward. In his vision, he saw a demonic aura shooting straight into the sky. Following the aura downward, he saw a group of fox spirits with human bodies and fox tails, each dressed in flamboyant attire and showing off their beauty.

Even more cruelly, some foxes wear a skull on their heads, while others wear human skin that sways back and forth in the wind, creating a very eerie sight.

Without exception, these fox spirits were covered in blood, with streaks of blood everywhere and wisps of resentment swirling around them. The direction they were heading was this village.

"Damn wretch!"

Seeing this, Gu Xu's eyes turned cold, and he moved a few miles away, appearing in the distance.

Fox Third Sister, leading a group of fox cubs, was preparing to take over the village ahead when she suddenly felt a chill. A gentle breeze swept by, and when she looked up, she saw a handsome Taoist standing about ten feet away. Fox Third Sister was startled and stopped in her tracks.

Seeing their ancestor stop, the other fox demons stirred, but then the ancestor reached out and pressed down, and the foxes fell silent.

"May I ask this Taoist priest, why are you blocking our way?" Fox Third Sister's beautiful eyes darted around, gleaming as she stared intently at Gu Xu.

"This Taoist priest must be strange. Judging from his attire, he doesn't seem to be one of the Supreme Daoists. His aura is not apparent; he seems like an ordinary person. But is there anyone so calm and composed?"

The group of fox demons made no attempt to conceal their forms; their fox tails were still exposed. Anyone who saw them would only shout that they were monsters, unlike him, who seemed completely unconcerned and even looked at them with interest. If she wasn't mistaken, it seemed as if they were counting.

"Heaven's justice will prevail; this humble Taoist has come specifically to see you all off on your journey to the Yellow Springs."

After Gu Xu finished speaking, he scattered four fire crystals in his hand, instantly forming a simple isolation array. He decided that when he made his move, he should not disturb the villagers to avoid causing more trouble.

"You stinking Taoist priest!" Fox Third Sister cursed angrily, her fox claws materializing as she viciously grabbed at Gu Xu. The other fox demons, seeing their ancestor make her move, howled a few times and immediately came to help.

"You ignorant and reckless creatures!" Gu Xu pointed his finger, and a chilling aura swept towards the demons. As the cold current advanced, everything around them froze. Fox Third Sister was horrified when she saw this, and she immediately withdrew her fox claws and retreated.

Although Fox Sister retreated, her fox offspring suffered. Fox Sister couldn't stop them in time, and several foxes were instantly turned into ice sculptures. With a few crisp cracking sounds, the ice shattered one by one, and none of the fox demons' bodies or souls escaped.

In just a few breaths, the thirty-two lesser demons were wiped out, leaving only the Fox Third Sister who had been deliberately left behind.

Fox Third Sister stared in terror at Gu Xu as he approached, backing away as she shrieked, "I serve under Tiger Lord, you can't kill me!"

"Tiger Lord," Gu Xu's eyes flickered, and he asked in a calm voice, "What is the background of this Tiger Lord?"

Thinking her claim of having powerful backers would work, Fox Third Sister clung to her last hope and shouted, "Tiger Lord is the chief general of Green Mountain Lord, possessing extraordinary abilities and in charge of all the demon races in Pingshan Prefecture. If you kill me, Tiger Lord will not rest in peace!"

Gu Xu sneered upon hearing this. This vixen was all bark and no bite. Tiger King might exist, but whether she could actually speak to him was another matter entirely.

Seeing Gu Xu deep in thought, Fox Third Sister secretly took out a golden hairpin, pricked her finger, and drew a drop of blood. With a surge of true energy, she transformed it into a streak of blood light, which shot towards the isolation array with a whoosh. A soft sound was heard, and the array paused slightly, revealing a flaw. Fox Third Sister was overjoyed at this sight and was about to escape in a flash.

Just as she escaped the magic array, the sky suddenly darkened. Fox Third Sister looked up and saw a mirror-shaped magic artifact covering her. This object was emitting a soft, clear light, and an invisible restraint bound her.

With a single command, the treasure mirror shone brightly, radiating crimson light. Fox Sister wailed incessantly, and soon revealed her true form—a three-tailed white fox. A few breaths later, the fox demon's body was completely incinerated by the pure yang true fire, while her soul was absorbed into the treasure mirror.

After retrieving the treasure mirror and the fire crystal, Gu Xu continued his journey. The next place was Yinmingchuan to the north, a place where Yin energy gathered in Tianhua Prefecture.

"The bamboo slips say that the Yinming River is said to be a tributary of the River Styx originating in the mortal world. The river water is extremely cold and yin, and ordinary things cannot survive in it, but it is an excellent place for the souls of the dead to nourish themselves. The water eye in the middle of the river is the water vein node. I wonder what its current state is."

Outside Shenglong Town, yellow smoke obscured the sky and sun, visible to all the townspeople, causing chaos. Coupled with the inaction of the government, this emboldened evil deeds, with some taking advantage of the situation to steal chickens and dogs, burn, kill, and loot, making life unbearable for the people.

At this moment, inside the yamen, Meng Fan and several others were talking with Chief Wang.

Glancing at the two burly men standing beside him, Meng Fan said in a deep voice, "Steward Wang, since the yamen is inactive, then don't interfere arbitrarily. Brother Yin has already sent people to control the situation, so Steward Wang, please wait here patiently."

Upon hearing this, Chief Wang's face hardened with frost. He said, "Meng Fan, out of consideration for our shared profession, I advise you not to get involved in this matter. It was thanks to me that Brother Lang didn't harm you back then. I never expected that you would be the one obstructing me today. It's truly a waste of your efforts."

"Master Wang, you are unaware of the dangers of inviting a wolf into your home. The wolf demon is cunning and possesses considerable supernatural powers. You have no corresponding leverage. Once it is no longer of any use, do you know the consequences?"

Before Wang could speak, Meng Fan finished speaking, but the two burly middle-aged men beside him snorted and stepped forward together.

"Sir Wang, we'll be watching over things here. Just go and do what you're supposed to do, and don't delay the general's business."

Seeing this, Meng Fan stood up and stared intently at the two demons. Wang, the steward, slowly got up, glanced at Meng Fan, and then walked out. But as soon as he moved his foot, a blade of light flashed and smashed the table and chairs next to him to pieces.

“Master Wang, please don’t make a mistake,” Meng Fan said in a deep voice, his hand resting on the scabbard.

"How dare you!" two burly middle-aged men roared. One demon faced off against Meng Fan, while the other took on Meng Fan's followers. In an instant, the room was filled with flashing blades and crackling sounds as the entire room was smashed to pieces.

Just as the two sides were facing off, Chief Wang casually got up and continued walking outside.

Upon seeing this, Meng Fan's eyes sharpened, and with a flick of his wrist, a gleaming blade shot straight toward the man, only to be caught midway by a pair of wolf claws.

With a bang, Lang Yi crushed the blade's light, grinned maliciously, and pounced straight at Meng Fan. The wolf claws on his hands gleamed with a dark green light. On the other side, Lang Er originally thought that these three followers were just ordinary experts, but after exchanging blows, he discovered that they were actually cultivators, and their cultivation techniques subtly countered his own.

Seeing that Manager Wang was about to leave, Meng Fan forced Lang Yi back with a single slash, then reached out and took out a talisman. With a burst of true energy, the talisman quickly ignited, creating a black hole that enveloped Manager Wang, and a powerful suction force rapidly pulled him inside.

"Transfer Symbol"

Lang Yi's eyes narrowed. Only the Supreme Dao could refine such runes. Could it be that the Imperial Sword Manor had aligned itself with the Supreme Dao?

Seeing that things were hopeless, Lang Yi called out to Lang Er. Lang Er glared angrily at the three people he was fighting. In just a moment, he was injured. If it weren't for Lang Yi's shout, he would have bitten them to death even if it cost him his life.

"Meng Fan, we'll have opportunities to meet again in the future."

Lang Yi said his last words, then, along with Lang Er, they turned into a wisp of black smoke and disappeared.

Seeing the two demons leave, Meng Fan slowly put away the jade talisman in his left palm.

"Now it all depends on Brother Yin."

(End of this chapter)