A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 123 Sword Pointing at the Demon General
After subduing the Bamboo Demoness, Gu Xu went to the altar, took out a talisman, and directly absorbed her into it. After finishing, Gu Xu looked at the two children whose tears were still wet.

Gu Xu reached out and stroked them, a gentle breeze swept by, and the two children fell into a deep sleep. Then Gu Xu held the children in his arms, his figure flashed, and he arrived at the village in less than half a moment.

The villagers had not yet returned, so Gu Xu waited outside the village with the children. Half an hour later, the villagers finally appeared.

The village chief was at the front, only a few feet away. He immediately recognized a Taoist priest who was carrying the offerings they had just delivered. He was terrified and quickly led the villagers over.

"Judging from this Taoist priest's appearance, he doesn't seem like a monster. Could it be?" Muramasa was initially suspicious, but then delighted and quickened his pace.

Other villagers also witnessed this scene, but seeing the village chief's hurried appearance, they dared not say a word, while the middle-aged couple looked excited.

"Greetings, Taoist Master. May I ask who this is?" Muramasa bowed respectfully, not daring to be negligent. This Taoist was clearly a person who had achieved great success in cultivation. The two children had returned unharmed; had the monster already been dealt with?

Seeing this, Gu Xu pointed his finger, and a flash of red light appeared. The Green Bamboo Demoness appeared on the ground. The village head and villagers were startled. This woman was very similar to the "fairy" they had seen in their dream.

"This is a bamboo spirit. Is this what you're worshipping?" Gu Xu waved his hand, and after a miserable scream, the Green Bamboo Demon instantly transformed into a green bamboo. Muramasa and the others looked horrified.

Although I knew long ago that the person I was worshipping was not a good person, it was still hard to believe that they would reveal their true colors so decisively.

"I have dealt with this bamboo spirit, which will ensure the safety of your village and eliminate the need for further sacrifices. However, I have a matter to discuss with you, and I hope you will agree."

Gu Xu handed the two children back to their parents and then turned to Muramasa.

"Please do not hesitate to give your instructions, Taoist priest," the village headman said respectfully. The other villagers, seeing his extraordinary abilities, had long been impressed.

"I have come here hoping that you will move as soon as possible. The upstream river is about to overflow its banks, and if you do not move, this place will become a swamp."

Seeing the reluctance on everyone's faces, Gu Xu said, "Three hundred miles from here, there is a plain. It is deserted, but it is a good place to farm, and it has both mountains and water, making it much better than this place."

"I understand, Daoist Master. Rest assured, we will relocate the village as soon as possible, within five days at the latest."

Muramasa patted his chest and readily agreed. Gu Xu gave him a deep look, nodded, and said, "Alright, then I'll leave everything to you, Muramasa. I'll come again in five days."

After speaking, Gu Xu remained motionless, put away the green bamboo, and disappeared from everyone's sight.

“Village head, although our village has a small population, it is the place where our ancestors have lived for generations. How can we agree to this so quickly?”

Some people voiced their objections, but Muramasa roared angrily, "If it weren't for this Taoist priest's intervention, we would have had to perform a sacrifice to that monster. Would we have had to take your children away then?"

Upon hearing Muramasa's words, many people fell silent. Seeing this, Muramasa thought to himself, "This Taoist priest is a highly accomplished master. If I do him a favor, my village might receive some divine favor. Even if there's no divine favor, just the fact that he eliminated the demon is enough to make him do this."

“Imagine, this Taoist priest is a kind-hearted person who came specifically to tell us to relocate our village to avoid being displaced by floods. What complaints could you possibly have? Someone else might not be so agreeable.”

The villagers nodded in agreement; the village head's words made sense.

"Hurry back and pack your things. We'll meet outside the village in five days and wait for the Taoist priest to lead us away."

The village chief was very authoritative and his decision was final. The villagers dared not disobey and immediately went home to pack their belongings.

Gu Xu left the village and headed three hundred miles away, where there was a beautiful valley that would be a good place for the villagers to settle down. However, there were many wild animals there, and Gu Xu needed to deal with them himself.

After some preparation, the wild beasts left the valley, which had been designated as a forbidden area. Gu Xu set up a simple formation and then returned to Yinmingchuan.

"The malevolent energy on the water's surface is growing increasingly intense; the water element node can no longer be preserved."

Seeing that the smooth stone was now chipped, Gu Xu sighed deeply. This was only because the Crimson Talisman was suppressing it; otherwise, the situation would have been even worse.

He sat there for five days in a row. During this time, Gu Xu used runes to seal the water element node to prevent spiritual energy from leaking out, but the effect was getting weaker and weaker.

"In just one more day, the Yinming River will be out of control." After casting another rune, Gu Xu left the river and arrived at the village.

Outside the village, the village head was leading the villagers to wait outside the village. Each of them was carrying large and small packages on their backs and holding pots and pans in their hands.

"Village Chief, when will that Taoist priest arrive?" the villager asked anxiously, as the sun was about to set and the priest still hadn't arrived.

"What's the rush? The Taoist priest said five days, how could he go back on his word? Just wait."

Muramasa snorted coldly. The decision to relocate the village had been met with unanimous opposition from the village elders, and he had only managed to quell those voices by relying on his personal prestige and the strength of the village's young and strong men.

"A bunch of old fogies, don't think I don't know what you're thinking."

Just as the village chief was deep in thought, a golden light flashed and Gu Xu gracefully descended. Upon seeing this, the villagers cried out in unison that he was a deity and knelt down to worship him. The elderly with white hair were especially excited.

"Please don't be like that, everyone. I am not a god, but just a cultivator." With a wave of his hand, everyone felt a gentle force slowly lifting them up, and they were immediately amazed.

"Master, all the villagers are here and will obey your orders," the village headman said, looking at Gu Xu with awe.

"Alright, everyone, please close your eyes."

Everyone did as instructed. Seeing this, Gu Xu waved his hand, and a beam of clear light shone down on everyone, with specks of light falling into their bodies.

The villagers felt a magical power emerge within them, as if they had inexhaustible strength. Just as they were reveling in this feeling, they suddenly heard a soft shout, and everyone woke up.

"Everyone, let's hurry on our way," Gu Xu said without further explanation, leading the way. The village headman quickly called out, and the villagers followed closely behind Gu Xu, heading east. They traveled for several hours, but the villagers did not feel tired at all. Some astute individuals guessed the magic that the Taoist priest had used.

"If the Taoist priest could pass on one or two skills to me, that would be wonderful."

Although the villagers thought this way, they also knew that the hope was slim, as the actions of such a wise person were beyond their comprehension.

Another half hour passed before Gu Xu finally stopped and pointed to the bright and beautiful valley ahead, saying, "That is where you will all stay from now on. Village head, I'll leave the rest to you. I have other important matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

After sending a telepathic message to Muramasa, Gu Xu immediately left. Muramasa bowed to the spot where he had left, then straightened up and led the villagers into the valley to begin their new life.

Outside the Yinming River, the water element node had already shattered, and the crimson talisman had also vanished without a trace. A tremendous force of water was gathering strength, and the surging water was constantly impacting the magic arrays on both banks. As time passed, the magic arrays showed signs of collapse.

"Luckily, we arrived in time." Gu Xu stood in mid-air above the water, his hands forming several hand seals. As soon as the magic arrays on both banks were dispelled, the surging water immediately breached the banks and flowed downstream.

Seeing this, Gu Xu gathered his true essence and reached out to strike the broken water element node. Suddenly, a burst of water erupted from the water, shooting straight into the sky. The water was jet black, and countless vengeful spirits, invisible to the naked eye, clung to it, trying to scatter in all directions as the water surged into the sky.

With a command, Gu Xu summoned the Soul Purification and Heart Cleansing Mirror. A beam of clear light shone forth, instantly forming a vortex that sucked the wronged souls and spirits into the mirror like a whale drawing in water.

Seeing that the treasure mirror had already controlled the flowing vengeful spirits, Gu Xu made a series of finger movements, and golden talismans appeared out of thin air, continuously merging into the soaring water. The dark water and golden light kept blending together, and after a full hour, the golden light cloud completely enveloped the dark water.

"Seal!" With a loud shout, Gu Xu unleashed a white light that slashed at the trapped water. Like frost passing through, the water was frozen by the Ice Soul Mystic Light, turning into a towering ice pillar. After a few breaths, it shattered into pieces, falling into the surging water and disappearing without a trace after being swept away by the splashing water.

Watching the surging water flow in the direction he had predicted, Gu Xu felt relieved. Once this water element node was destroyed, the water would become a source without roots and could not last long. Once the sun shone on it, the yin energy in the area it flowed through would dissipate completely, and it would surely become a fertile land in a few hundred years.

Thinking of this, Gu Xu left and arrived at the beautiful valley a moment later. It was already late at night, but a fire was lit in the valley, where villagers were resting.

"Muramasa, this land is very fertile, how come no one has discovered it?"

"This place is so well hidden, do you think just anyone could find it? If it weren't for the Taoist priest's mercy, how could we have turned misfortune into blessing? Tomorrow, let's rebuild the houses first, then resume production. This world is getting more and more chaotic."

Muramasa recalled Gu Xu's earlier telepathic message: the valley was protected by a magic array, preventing wild beasts from entering. However, Muramasa also had other thoughts. Having witnessed Gu Xu's various supernatural abilities, he desperately hoped that the other party could pass on something to help the village survive in the chaotic world. After all, relying solely on external forces wouldn't be enough; one's own strength was still essential.

Just then, the campfire flickered, and Muramasa's heart skipped a beat. He noticed a figure sitting by the fire, and upon closer inspection, he exclaimed with delight, "Master, you're back!"

Tianhua Prefecture, Shenglong Town, Yujian Manor
“Senior brother, after following the controlled villagers out of town yesterday, Junior Brother Wang and I tracked them to a dense forest. The place was shrouded in mist and was very strange. I was afraid of alerting them, so I didn’t go in. I only saw red lights flashing from time to time inside, and there were also some strange sounds mixed in.”

"Well, let's put that aside for now. It might be related to Lang Rong. The most important thing now is to find Lang Rong and his men's hideout and take care of him. Then the danger of the Bewitching Smoke can be resolved. Junior Brother Meng, Junior Brother Wang, you two should prepare yourselves in the next few days. It's going to be a bloody battle."

“Yes, senior brother,” Meng Yu and Wang Xiao replied, and then left the room.

Three days later, outside Thang Long Town
"Master Yin, the Blood Nether Moth has been successfully refined and is ready for use."

"Taoist Master, please," Yin Zhong gestured, indicating that the other party should make a move.

Wei Feng nodded, stretched out his arm, and the moth, now restored to its original color, danced lightly around him once, then headed east, scattering silver specks of light along its path.

"Master Yin, hurry up and keep up!"

Wei Feng gave a shout and led the disciples of the Supreme Path ahead.

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhong exchanged a glance with Meng Fan, then led a squad of iron guards to quickly follow, while Meng Fan brought up the rear, leaving markers along the way.

The moths fluttered in front, and the group followed cautiously behind. After an hour, the moths suddenly stopped on a flat area, flitting about without moving forward.

Wei Feng stretched out his arm, and a moth landed on it. Yin Zhong, who was later there, asked softly, "Daoist, have you found it?"

"Please look, Master Yin, this is the demon clan's stronghold," Wei Feng said, pointing to the flat ground in front of him.

“But there’s nothing unusual here,” Meng Fan examined carefully but couldn’t see anything different.

Yin Zhong secretly sensed it and discovered that there was indeed a strong and persistent demonic aura on the flat ground in front of him, which was very similar to the wolf he had killed earlier.

"Junior Brother Meng, it's up to you now," Wei Feng nodded to Meng Yu, who understood. He opened his folding fan, and a gust of cold wind came out of nowhere. Meng Fan's eyes narrowed immediately, and he saw several beast shadows appear on the dark fan surface, including tigers, leopards, wolves, and bears.

The mere appearance of a few phantoms exuded a terrifying aura, almost causing Meng Fan to lose his footing. In contrast, the Iron Guards remained calm, which impressed Wei Feng greatly.

With a wave of his folding fan, Meng Yu summoned four illusory beasts that appeared on the ground. With a roar, a thunderclap shook the ground, creating a black hole. The moment the black hole appeared, a cloud of black mist emerged from it, instantly enveloping everyone present.

"Be careful," Yin Zhong warned.

Upon hearing this, the Iron Guards quickly formed a battle formation, pointing their longswords outwards, surrounding Yin Zhong and Meng Fan. The disciples of the Supreme Path, having also received Wei Feng's reminder, all held their weapons and kept their eyes fixed on the front.

Seeing the black mist appear, Meng Yu flipped over and leaped back to Wei Feng's side. He pointed his finger, and the four beast phantoms disappeared.

"coming"

A black mist enveloped the area, obscuring the sunlight. Strange sounds continuously reached everyone's ears, disturbing their minds. Seeing this, Yin Zhong drew his sword and slashed towards the source of the sounds. Several sword lights streaked through the air, but the black mist swallowed them all.

"You all possess remarkable abilities to have found this place. Wei Feng, doesn't the Supreme Dao pride itself on regarding mortals as mere weeds? How come you're joining forces with these people to attack my demon race today? Could it be that the Supreme Dao is about to change its ways?"

The rough voice clearly reached Yin Zhong and the others' ears, but their expressions remained unchanged. Wei Feng, upon hearing this, sneered, "Lang Rong, you call yourself a general of the demon race? Have you not heard that those who are not of our race are sure to have different hearts? No matter what, the Supreme Dao is still human. How can the Supreme Dao stand idly by while you demons act recklessly?"

"Whatever the problems within the human race are, they are internal issues. You prodigies are the ones the Supreme Dao should focus its attacks on. Don't think these tricks can trap us. Junior Brother Wang, make your move."

Looking at the churning black mist, Wei Feng gave an order to Wang Xiao, who then took out a small bronze cauldron with three legs and two handles. The cauldron was decorated with taotie patterns. Wang Xiao removed the lid and lit the cauldron. A beam of colorful light emanated from it. When the black mist was illuminated by this light, it quickly dissipated like fresh snow meeting the blazing sun.

At the same time, after several screams, everyone's eyes lit up. A burly man led a group of wolf soldiers and stood a few feet away, his emerald green eyes staring at everyone.

"The Fiery Fusion Cauldron, I never expected Ning Dao to entrust you with such a precious treasure. Truly a generous gesture."

Lang Rong glanced at the floating cauldron, then looked away.

"If General Lang removes the bewitching smoke and swears never to appear in Tianhua Prefecture again, I might be able to negotiate with Master Yin to allow you all to leave. I wonder what General Lang's intentions are?"

"Ha, further words are useless. Now that I've come out, it wouldn't be good to go back without drawing blood. Let's fight."

At Lang Rong's command, the wolf soldiers behind him immediately rushed forward and attacked Yin Zhong's side.

Yin Zhong and Wei Feng simultaneously gave orders, and the Iron Guards and disciples of the Supreme Path formed ranks to engage the wolf soldiers in battle, while the two of them kept their eyes on Lang Rong.

In fact, Yin Zhong could sense that the other party's cultivation was inferior to his own, but he also guessed that the other party must have a backup plan for making such a big show of things. Therefore, he did not take it lightly and joined forces with Wei Feng to attack Lang Rong.

Two swords attacked from both sides, but Lang Rong treated it as nothing. He suddenly drew his halberd, spun it through the air, and sent two dark green lights toward Yin Zhong and Wei Feng.

In the instant the swords clashed, the dark light shattered. Yin Zhong's sword momentum was like a rainbow, rushing straight in. His unstoppable momentum made Lang Rong's expression change slightly. In addition, Wei Feng swirled his sword at his side, and the dense sword energy was like a net, constantly shrinking the area of ​​activity.

"Is this your strategy?"

Lang Rong sneered, gripped his halberd horizontally, and swept it out. Seeing this, Yin Zhong did not retreat but advanced, his longsword flashing. In the blink of an eye, he struck the halberd head. The recoil made Yin Zhong take a step back, while Lang Rong's face turned pale and he took three steps back.

In just a few exchanges, Lang Rong was already at a disadvantage. Seeing that the opportunity was not to be missed, Wei Feng gave a light shout, and his long sword flew up, its clear and bright light dazzling. Like rain, sword energy swept down towards Lang Rong.

Wei Feng used the supreme sword technique of the Dao, striving to corner Lang Rong in one strike. Even if he couldn't kill him, he wanted to severely injure him so that he could use his backup plan.

"What a powerful sword technique!" Yin Zhong withdrew and looked at the rain of swords. He couldn't help but praise it. The Supreme Daoist could fight against the demon race. He was indeed quite powerful.

Despite being relentlessly slashed by the rain of swords, Lang Rong remained remarkably calm. Demons cultivate physical bodies, and while the rain of swords was indeed sharp, its effectiveness depended on who wielded it. Wei Feng's power was insufficient to harm him.

"It's almost time," Lang Rong glanced at the two sides fighting in the distance. The wolf soldiers had already suffered many casualties. If they continued to fight, they would lose all their resources.

With a furious roar, Lang Rong swung his halberd like a wheel, deflecting the rain of swords. The few that escaped were no threat. Lang Rong then took out a bell-shaped magic weapon, and with a burst of true energy, it rang out with a clanging sound. Under the sweeping sound waves, everyone except a few people fell to the ground. Many Iron Guards and disciples of the Supreme Path were killed.

"Wei Feng, Yin Zhong, this isn't over yet. We'll have another chance to meet."

Lang Rong tapped the bell, and a thick, dark cloud suddenly appeared. At Lang Rong's command, the remaining wolf soldiers swiftly leaped into it and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Until we meet again," Lang Rong said, sheathing his halberd and laughing heartily as he prepared to leave.

Wei Feng was greatly alarmed. He had no time to activate his backup plan. This Lang Rong was indeed cunning.

Just then, a streak of blood-red light suddenly flew out from Yin Zhong's hand. Yin Zhong leaped into the air, let out a soft shout, and a blood-red cloud covered the dark clouds, with thin lines of blood penetrating deep into the clouds.

"Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument!" Lang Rong and Wei Feng exclaimed in unison.

Screams echoed from within the dark clouds, but after a few breaths, all was silent.

Lang Rong looked at Wei Feng and his fellow disciples who had surrounded him, as well as the Iron Guard led by Meng Fan, with a gloomy expression. He had miscalculated this time.

Yin Zhong hovered in mid-air, the crimson light of the Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument in his hand intensifying, making Lang Rong uneasy.

Thank you to the readers "The Sea Is a Volcano", "The Light of the Sage", and "Dust in the World 9" for their generous donations.


(End of this chapter)