A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 137 Preemptive Strike
Tianhua Prefecture, Yujian Manor
In the garden, Yin Zhong was teaching his son Yin Qing swordsmanship when the butler's voice came from outside.

"Master, Steward Meng has arrived, saying it's urgent."

"Okay, I'll be there shortly."

Yin Zhong responded and pointed out several mistakes in Yin Qing's swordsmanship, telling him to practice more. After changing his clothes, he led the butler to the living room.

At this moment, Meng Fan paced back and forth in the living room, his face showing anxiety. When he saw Yin Zhong appear, he hurriedly went forward.

"Brother Yin, you've finally arrived! Something terrible has happened in Tianhua Prefecture!" Meng Fan said urgently.

"Brother Meng, don't be anxious. Tell me what happened slowly," Yin Zhong gestured for him to sit down.

"Brother Yin has been in seclusion for many days and probably doesn't know that some blood-soaked bones have suddenly appeared in the border area between Tianhua Prefecture and Xiyuan Prefecture. They were able to ignore the magic array set up by the experts and rush into Tianhua Prefecture. Many people have already lost their lives."

"Such a thing has happened!" Yin Zhong exclaimed in surprise.

Previously, they thought the blood mist wouldn't reach Tianhua Prefecture. After all, someone had said that a master had set up a magic array to block the blood mist's invasion. Yin Zhong had also personally inspected it, and the array was indeed extraordinary and could isolate the blood mist. For this reason, Yin Zhong withdrew the Iron Guards.

But unexpectedly, in just five years, the formation became ineffective.

"This is absolutely true. The city lord of Jiushan City has issued a decree, hoping that all the experts in the state will come to Jiushan to resolve this problem. Otherwise, once Jiushan falls, those blood-slaughtered bones will continue to pour in through this opening, and then Tianhua will be in grave danger."

At this point, Meng Fan looked up at Yin Zhong and said earnestly, "Brother Yin, now that the experts in the prefecture have already set off one after another, what should we do?"

It would be unreasonable for no one to step forward, but apart from Meng Fan himself being a master, everyone else in the state is from the Imperial Sword Manor. This matter cannot be avoided by Yin Zhong.

Yin Zhong pondered for a moment and said, "Shenglong Town is relatively stable now, but we still can't let our guard down. Brother Meng, I'll trouble you to stay here. I'll have the steward assist you. As for Jiushan City, I'll take the Iron Guards there to do my part."

Upon hearing this, Meng Fan stood up and bowed respectfully to him, saying, "I entrust everything to Brother Yin."

Yin Zhong stood up and returned the greeting.

Just as the two were discussing matters in the living room, the butler knocked on the door and entered. After bowing, the butler said, "Master, three Taoist priests have arrived outside, claiming to be old acquaintances."

After a moment's thought, Yin Zhong suddenly remembered the incident from several years ago when he dealt with the mind-altering smoke. He immediately said, "It is indeed an old friend. Let me go and greet him."

Yin Zhong said to Meng Fan, "Brother Meng, do you still remember the bewitching smoke from back then, and those three Taoist priests?"

"So it was them," Meng Fan thought of Wei Feng and the other two after hearing Yin Zhong's words.

Without further hesitation, the two immediately left the living room, went outside the villa, opened the protective barrier, and invited Wei Feng and the other two in.

"After several years, Master Yin and Steward Meng still look as dashing as ever."

"The three Taoist masters, though separated for several years, still inspire our admiration for their otherworldly and lofty demeanor."

After a few words of flattery, Wei Feng finally revealed the purpose of his visit.

"Master Yin, to be honest, the three of us have come here hoping to borrow the 'Blood Net Celestial Instrument' from you."

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhong did not immediately refuse, but said solemnly, "May I ask what your purpose is in borrowing this item?"

This thing is inherently evil. If it falls into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, it's hard to guarantee that it won't do something wicked. Although these three people once helped me defeat the wolf demon, it doesn't mean they are without danger.

Moreover, in Yin Zhong's mind, these three people were quite cunning and even more difficult to deal with than the single-minded wolf demon. Their sudden appearance to borrow the magic weapon was hard not to arouse suspicion.

"There's nothing to hide, Master Yin. You may not know this, but my junior brother's white jade fan is still missing several beast souls. This time, we discovered a strange beast in a valley. This beast is treacherous and cunning; it disguised itself as an island and devoured all the fishermen."

Wei Feng paused, then continued, "If the three of us hadn't possessed some life-saving techniques, we would probably have become its prey. This beast is incredibly powerful, and it would be difficult to subdue it with our magical artifacts alone. However, considering that Master Yin possesses the Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument, we might be able to kill this beast."

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhong pondered for a moment, then looked at Wei Feng and the other two. In his perception, the three of them did indeed show signs of having fought with the strange beasts.

"Master Wei, to be honest, I am preparing to go to Jiushan City, and I will definitely need to bring this Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument with me. I really cannot lend it to you."

Upon hearing this, Wei Feng pondered for a moment, then asked, "Is Master Yin going to deal with the blood puppets outside Nine Mountain City?"

"Blood Puppet?"

Yin Zhong and Meng Fan asked at the same time.

“That’s right. The three of us also know about the Nine Mountain City incident. Those blood-red skeletons are actually called Blood Puppets. They are corpses mutated by the power of Blood Yang, and ordinary methods simply won’t work.”

After hearing Wei Feng's words, Meng Fan said, "No wonder, so that's the reason."

"Most of our disciples have already headed to Nine Mountain City. According to news from our fellow disciples, many of those blood puppets have already been killed."

"So your sect had a plan in place. In that case, those blood puppets shouldn't cause any problems in the short term."

"Indeed, Master Yin. How about this: you come with us to hunt down that strange beast. We only need its soul, and you can take everything else. What do you think, Master Yin?"

Since we can't use the Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument, why not let Yin Zhong go in person? With the help of the three of them, plus Yin Zhong and the magic weapon, the Ink Scale Dragon Fish is definitely doomed.

"Brother Yin, these three have ulterior motives, so we must be careful," Meng Fan whispered, harboring suspicions about them.

"It's alright, let's wait and see."

"That's a good idea. I wonder where that valley is. If it takes too long, I'm afraid I don't have enough time."

"Wenquan Mountain," Wei Feng said immediately.

"Wenquan Mountain is 800 li away from Shenglong Town. A month should be enough for a round trip. Daoist, I agree to this matter. You may stay at the mountain villa for now and set off tomorrow."

"Then I'll have to trouble Master Yin."

Upon hearing Yin Zhong's agreement, Wei Feng was overjoyed and immediately stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, while Meng Yu and Wang Xiao bowed at the same time.

"No need for formalities, three Taoist priests. Butler, please escort you to the guest rooms to rest."

The butler immediately responded and led the three away.

"Brother Yin, do you have some plans for doing this?" Meng Fan asked suspiciously, knowing that Yin Zhong would not help these three for no reason.

"This rare beast is perfect for refining some items. Brother Meng, while I'm away, please look after Shenglong Town. I will definitely return within a month."

"Then I wish Brother Yin all the best."

In the guest room, Meng Yu said to Wei Feng, "Senior brother, if Yin Zhong goes to Wenquan Mountain, will we still be able to get that beast soul?"

"Junior brother, don't worry. Although Yin Zhong's cultivation far surpasses the three of us, he is the one who keeps his promises the most. With his help, that beast's end is near."

Over the past five years, Wei Feng and his two companions would attempt to probe the dragon fish every so often, only to be routed each time. This only fueled their determination to obtain the dragon fish, leading them to collect beast souls, gather blood essence, and refine treasures.

Most recently, the dragon fish seemed to have grown impatient with them. The three of them abandoned many treasures and exhausted most of their energy before finally escaping.

"Let's hope so. If Yin Zhong really gets greedy for the treasure, we're not without a backup plan, but the price would be too high."

Upon hearing this, Meng Yu knew what Wei Feng was talking about, so she immediately shut up and sat down to meditate.

The next day, Yin Zhong, along with his iron guards and Wei Feng, rode fast horses straight to Wenquan Mountain.

Tianhua Prefecture, Jiushan City

City Lord Wang Hao put down his telescope, his face grave. Although the blood puppet had been driven back by the Taoist priests and martial artists, he knew that this was only temporary and that a strong attack would follow.

"Lord City, Master Chen and Elder Fang have arrived," the confidant whispered to the city lord as the two approached.

Upon hearing this, Wang Hao turned around and immediately agreed.

"Master Chen, Mr. Fang," Wang Hao said respectfully, not daring to put on airs as the city lord. Chen Cong and Fang Wei returned the greeting.

"You two have come here because you have something to say to us?" Wang Hao asked, his eyes fixed intently on the two men.

Since the appearance of the Blood Puppets, Jiushan City was able to manage by relying on the formation set up by Gu Xu. However, due to the Blood Yang mutation, some Blood Puppets were able to forcibly break through the formation and rush in. Jiushan City was caught off guard and suffered heavy casualties.

If it weren't for Fang Wei leading a group of martial arts practitioners to hold out for a while, Jiushan City would probably be a scorched earth by now.

"Lord, the Blood Puppets have ceased their attacks these past few days. I believe they are gathering strength. If they were to regroup, it would likely be another tough battle. The Lord should make plans as soon as possible."

Understanding the implication in Fang Wei's words, Wang Hao asked urgently, "Could it be that the magic array outside Tianhua Prefecture is no longer effective?"

"Although the power of the formation has been somewhat depleted, it is not entirely useless. However, as time goes on, once those blood puppets gather their strength within the formation, the formation will not be able to hold out for long under the combined attack from within and without. Once the formation is broken, Nine Mountain City will be completely exposed to the blood puppets."

Chen Cong was a disciple of the Supreme Dao and was quite proficient in formations. If it weren't for the strange celestial phenomena and the erosion of the blood mist, the formation's power wouldn't have been so severely depleted. Originally, it could have lasted for a hundred years, but now it's riddled with flaws in less than ten years. It was all the will of Heaven.

Seeing Wang Hao frown and remain silent, Chen Cong and Fang Wei exchanged a glance. The former said, "City Lord Wang, Mr. Fang and I have already discussed it and are preparing to leave the city to preemptively strike and wipe out those blood puppets. We'll kill as many as we can, as a way of doing our part for the people of the city."

Upon hearing this, Wang Hao was shocked. This was clearly a desperate attempt to win big with a small investment, a death wish, but he couldn't refuse.

Wang Hao bowed deeply to the two men, saying, "You two are so kind and benevolent. On behalf of all the people of the city, I thank you once again. If you need anything, please let me know as soon as possible, and I will do my best to support you."

"Very well, with the city lord's words, we will not stand on ceremony."

Chen Cong immediately asked for gunpowder, a military item that they couldn't normally get their hands on. Upon hearing this, Wang Hao didn't hesitate for a moment. He immediately gave an order to his confidant, took his warrant, and led the two to the armory.

Chen Cong and Fang Wei thanked him and left with their confidants.

"Lord, can these two hold out for a while?" another confidant asked doubtfully.

"Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, the people in the city should be evacuated as soon as possible. How many people are left in the city now?"

"There are still more than four thousand people, including one thousand civilians, two thousand soldiers, and the rest are martial arts practitioners."

"Relocate those people as soon as possible. Regardless of the outcome, Jiushan City cannot be defended. In case of emergency, this city will have to be destroyed."

On the other side, Chen and his companion, accompanied by the city lord's trusted aide, arrived at the armory without any hindrance. The aide opened the armory door, gestured to the two, and said, "Gentlemen, this is the armory. Please."

After saying that, he took the lead and went inside, with Chen and the other two following closely behind. Inside the storeroom, besides some common weapons, there were rows of black wooden boxes that emitted a pungent smell.

He opened a wooden box and said, "Master Chen, Mr. Fang, there are over five thousand catties of gunpowder here, along with some sulfur and saltpeter. The city lord has instructed that you may take whatever you wish."

Looking at the gunpowder in front of him, Chen Congzheng said, "Please thank the city lord on my behalf. With these items, we have a better chance of defeating the Blood Puppet."

The trusted aide said, "I will inform the city lord that this warrant will be given to Daoist Chen."

Chen Cong took the order, his confidant nodded, and left.

"Mr. Fang, with this gunpowder, I can instruct my fellow disciples to manufacture Thunder Pearl Fire, which will then be distributed to our fellow martial artists."

"Then we'll have to trouble you, Master Chen. We'll take on the responsibility of guarding you for the time being."

Fang Wei knew he couldn't get involved in this matter, so he took the initiative to become a bodyguard.

Chen Cong nodded upon hearing this. After the two checked all the gunpowder and found nothing wrong, they withdrew.

The next day, Chen Cong led more than fifty fellow disciples into the armory. Outside, Fang Wei's men were guarding the area, preventing unauthorized personnel from entering.

Outside the formation, a group of blood puppets, led by a blood general, tirelessly attacked the light barrier. After the light barrier shattered the blood puppets once again, the blood general swung his sword, causing the light barrier to distort before returning to normal.

After looking at the blood with its lively eyes for a while, the blood dispersed and turned into a blood mist that attached itself to the light shield. The blood light resisted the array power. After a while, the blood light was gradually worn away, and the array power also ran out of strength. Just then, a beam of blood light struck the weak point of the array power. With a bang, the array power became unbalanced, and the array mechanism was broken.

The shockwave turned the area within a ten-mile radius into a white wasteland. The blood-red light that shattered the light barrier swirled back and landed in the hands of a skeletal general clad in blood-red armor.

"Lord Xue Ming, Xue Yi has completed the mission, and the Tianhua Prefecture formation has been broken," a Xue general standing beside Xue Ming said with delight.

"Very well, pass down the order to gather all the blood soldiers here. I intend to destroy Nine Mountain City in one fell swoop. After occupying this place, we can hold a blood sacrifice and welcome the Blood God in."

"Yes, Your subordinate obeys," the trusted general replied and left.

Xue Ming looked at the array power that was beginning to heal around him, reached out and pointed, and a cloud of blood mist stained it, eroding the gathered spiritual power.

"Once this formation is broken and we conquer Tianhua Prefecture, Lord Blood God will surely bestow great rewards upon us."

The moment the formation was broken, Gu Xu, who was far away in Lianyun Prefecture, sensed it.

After silently contemplating for a moment, Gu Xu made up his mind. Since the Supreme Dao had also taken action, there shouldn't be any major problems. The credit for eliminating the Blood Puppet shouldn't be monopolized by the True Martial Hall.

"I'll let you have your fun for a while; someone will come and deal with you eventually."

Looking into the depths of Xiyuan Prefecture, a thick crimson light rose, within which a strange shadow seemed to float. Gu Xu felt a chill; this essence of blood mist had indeed become quite powerful.

With his eyes closed, Gu Xu continued to meditate and circulate his internal energy. Two streams of black and white energy swirled around him, reflecting the five-colored light behind him, making him appear like a god. The Azure Thunder Sword and the Soul-Cleansing Heart Mirror trembled slightly, as if they had taken a powerful tonic, and their radiance shone brightly. In an instant, the entire secret cave was filled with multicolored light.

In Jiushan City, after several days of hard work, Chen Cong finally led his fellow disciples out of the armory, each carrying a wooden box.

Master Chen

Upon hearing that Chen Cong had come out, Fang Wei immediately came with Wang Hao to inquire.

"We will live up to your trust."

Chen opened a wooden box, and Wang Hao and Fang Wei saw dozens of black spheres neatly arranged inside.

Fang Wei had keen senses; this black sphere seemed to contain an astonishing power that, once released, would be enough to flatten mountains and destroy peaks.

"Mr. Fang, these twenty wooden boxes are now yours. Remember to keep these Thunder Pearls safe. I've already included the instructions on how to use them inside the boxes."

Fang Wei nodded upon hearing this, and with a shout, someone took half of the wooden box from him.

"Gentlemen, what's the situation outside the city lately? Have the Blood Puppets reappeared?"

"Master Chen, another section of the formation outside the city has been breached, and some blood puppets have broken in but have been eliminated. Now that the Thunder Pearl is ready, let's finish this quickly."

“Very well, Lord Wang. If we fail to complete the mission, we must abandon Nine Mountain City. Our fellow disciples back home should already be prepared.”

"Rest assured, Daoist Master, all the people in the city have been relocated. Those who remain are soldiers who volunteered for the battle. Even if we cannot completely eliminate the evil spirits, we can at least alleviate some of the pressure on the rear and buy some time."

Hearing the decisiveness in Wang Hao's words, Chen Cong nodded secretly and said to Fang Wei, "Mr. Fang, there's no time to lose. Distribute the Thunder Pearls now, and we'll take action tonight."

"it is good"

After discussing some more details, the three dispersed. Affected by the power of the Blood Sun, the cold moon in the sky also became eerie, like a blood mirror hanging high, casting not the soft moonlight, but a strange blood haze.

As soon as the gates of Jiushan City opened, hundreds of figures rushed out. A moment later, the figures disappeared. The instant the gates closed, a beam of light enveloped the entire city.

"We hope that Master Chen and Mr. Fang will return safely."

Wang Hao gripped the jade token in his hand, watching the light barrier rise outside the city.

Just as Chen Cong and Fang Wei led their men out of the city, the Blood Puppet outside the formation had already completed its formation and was now passing through the formation's defenses in batches under Xue Ming's command.

Over a thousand blood soldiers entered in an orderly fashion within a few hours. After the last blood puppet entered, Xue Ming's figure flashed, and when he reappeared, he was already at the very front.

Looking at Jiushan City ten miles away, Xue Ming's eyes revealed a bloodthirsty light. Just as he raised his greatsword, ready to give orders, a sudden loud rumble shook the ground.

(End of this chapter)