A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 152 Strange Movements of the Demon Clan
Tianhua Prefecture, Unnamed Valley
The demon general Hu Xuan stood respectfully before the altar, looking at the avatar of Lord Qingshan, and said, "Your Majesty, news came recently that the Blood God Calamity in Xiyuan Prefecture has been resolved. The one who made the final move should be Daoist Gu Xu of the Zhenwu Hall."

Upon hearing this, Lord Qingshan nodded and said, "I am already aware of this matter. The Supreme Dao and the True Martial Hall suffered considerable losses this time, with a large number of elite troops killed. It will probably be difficult for them to recover in a short period of time."

Upon hearing this, Hu Xuan tentatively asked, "Then what should our clan do from now on? Please instruct us, Your Majesty."

The Supreme Dao and the True Martial Palace are currently at the height of their prestige. If we confront them directly, we will likely suffer severe blows. However, if we do nothing, the ten-year agreement will soon be reached, and the creation of divine positions has yet to yield any results. When the great calamity of heaven and earth arrives, the demon race will have one less way out.

"Go ahead and do this, but remember not to kill too many people. You have to give those two factions some face to avoid losing face. But after four years, no matter how far you've gone, you must stop in time."

After Qingshan-jun finished speaking, Huxuan quickly devised a plan and immediately said solemnly, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will do my best to handle this matter well."

Qingshan Jun nodded in his shadow form and then dispersed. Hu Xuan stayed in front of the altar for a while, and then had Xiao Yao invite Zhu Gang and the other two demons over.

Before long, Zhu Gang, Lang Rong, and Ying Yin arrived one after another.

"Tiger, you summoned us, but is there something wrong with Lord Aoyama?"

Just as Zhu Gang was preparing to refine the "Black Fiend Thousand Absolute Refinement" again, he was called over by Hu Xuan, and he felt a little impatient.

"That's right. Lord Qingshan just summoned me and told me about the future plans for the demon race."

Afterwards, Hu Xuan relayed what he had said earlier to the three demons. After listening, Zhu Gang frowned, realizing that this matter was rather difficult to handle.

"Tiger, according to you, the Supreme Dao and the True Martial Hall don't have time to deal with us right now, but I have some questions."

Meeting Hu Xuan's gaze, Zhu Gang said in a deep voice, "Although the Supreme Dao suffered losses in this calamity, its foundation remains intact, and Ning Dao and the others are safe and sound. As for the True Martial Hall, although it lost some elders and disciples, as long as Daoist Gu Xu is there, the True Martial Hall will not decline."

After a pause, Zhu Gang continued, "Right now, the relationship between the two factions is at its most awkward. If we make any big moves, they might join forces and target the demon race together. In that case, wouldn't we just become a buffer between them?"

Ying Yin and Lang Rong nodded in agreement. Zhu Gang's words made perfect sense. With the ten-year agreement approaching, the relationship between Wushangdao and Zhenwu Hall would certainly not be as close as before. If a common enemy were to emerge at this time, it would at least ease tensions for a considerable period of time. Everyone would benefit from this, except for the demon race, which would become a stepping stone and a buffer between them.

“Brother Zhu is right, but don’t forget, the Supreme Dao never acts without self-interest. If we haven’t infringed on their interests, why would they come looking for us? And as for the True Martial Hall, it’s even more unpredictable. Daoist Gu Xu’s cultivation is unfathomable; why would he care about our petty tricks?”

"In short, I speculate that as long as we don't infringe on the interests of those two factions, even if we take some big actions, it will at most be just some minor conflicts, which are still within our control. As long as we complete the first and second deployments in four years, we will have some confidence when facing the great calamity of heaven and earth in the future."

Ying Yin said, "Tiger, what are your thoughts? Tell everyone."

Hu Xuan glanced at the three demons and said in a deep voice, "Mortals are the most ignorant. They will value anything that can help them. If we use some supernatural powers to help them solve some difficulties, they will definitely offer incense. In a wealthy and prosperous place, four years is enough time to create several deities."

"Wonderful!"

Ying Yin's eyes lit up. In chaotic times, ordinary people seek peace of mind. Now, with the aftermath of the Blood God's calamity, they are at their most vulnerable. If a seed can be planted in their hearts and eroded over time, even if the Supreme Dao and the True Martial Hall realize what's happening, those ordinary people will certainly not overthrow them.

"Tiger's plan is good. So, which places have you chosen?"

Zhu Gang praised the suggestion and then asked about the location selection. After all, Tianhua Prefecture was too large, and they only had four years. In his opinion, it was not advisable to spread their energy too thin, so it would be better to carefully select a few locations.

"The three southeastern cities of Tianhua Prefecture—Anle City, Yongding City, and Jiyuan City—are somewhat remote, but their wealth and prosperity are no less than those of the nine cities in the heartland. Moreover, many people there have suffered from disasters, and the power of the Supreme Dao has not yet reached this area, making it an excellent choice."

With a wave of his hand, three cities suddenly appeared above the altar. Hu Xuan pointed to Anle City and said, "Anle City has recently been frequently attacked by sea monsters. I have already sent people to investigate, and these sea monsters are nothing more than black fish that haven't even cultivated any demonic energy. They are not worth mentioning at all. Now is the perfect time to present them to Anle City as a gift."

Zhu Gang nodded upon hearing this and said, "With the blackfish as a lure and some careful planning, it won't be difficult to gain the support of the common people in the city. When the other two cities hear of this, they will surely compete to offer tribute as well. At that time, all three cities will fall under the rule of our demon race. Once we have established a powerful force, even the Supreme Dao will not dare to act rashly."

"Tiger, leave this matter to us. Lord Aoyama needs your help."

Upon hearing this, Hu Xuan said in a deep voice, "This matter must be handled well, otherwise, we will only become stumbling blocks for others."

Zhu Gang and the others all agreed and came down. After discussing for a while and finalizing many details, they dispersed. Seven days later, Hu Xuan saw off the three demons outside the valley and came to the altar to tell Qingshan Jun everything.

Rising Dragon Town, Imperial Sword Manor
"Brother Yin, how are you feeling?"

A few days ago, Meng Fan, the head of the yamen, heard that Yin Zhong had returned to the manor and came to inquire about him. Unexpectedly, the steward came out to apologize, saying that Yin Zhong would be in seclusion to heal his injuries in the next few days and would not be seeing outsiders for the time being.

After waiting a few more days, Meng Fan returned with gifts and finally met Yin Zhong.

"Thank you for your concern, Brother Meng. I am now safe and sound. Brother Meng, has anything happened in Shenglong Town while I was away?"

Looking at Yin Zhong's rosy face, Meng Fan knew that Yin Zhong's injuries were no longer serious. Hearing Yin Zhong's question, he pondered for a moment and said, "The other things are fine, but it seems that someone encountered a formation at Broken Soul Valley before, leaving some traces."

"Oh, what exactly happened?"

Yin Zhong was shocked to hear this. The Soul-Severing Valley could be considered a forbidden area of ​​Shenglong Town. Although the blood calamity had been eliminated, the miasma there showed no signs of abating. If someone were to deliberately cause damage, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"After being reminded by the Iron Guard of Zhuangzhong, I immediately led my men to investigate. Nothing was left at the scene. That's why I dispatched another team to guard the valley entrance. There haven't been any unusual movements recently."

"Um"

After listening to Meng Fan's words, Yin Zhong was also at a loss. However, if this person did not give up, he would definitely come again. Now that everything had settled down, there was plenty of time to deal with him.

"I will keep a close eye on this matter, and I'll trouble Brother Meng to keep a close eye on things with the authorities."

"This is my duty, Brother Yin, you flatter me."

After discussing the matter of Shenglong Town, Meng Fan turned his attention to inquiring about the battle of Jiushan City.

Yin Zhong didn't try to hide anything and told Meng Fan some trivial things, but even these things made Meng Fan exclaim in surprise.

"I never imagined that the Blood God was so powerful, capable of swallowing up an entire province's spiritual energy; it's truly unbelievable."

Although Meng Fan had not witnessed it firsthand, he could still feel the ferocity and tragedy of the battle from Yin Zhong's account.

"Although Jiushan City has been preserved, its soil is too weak to sustain life. Judging by the time, it should now be a ghost town, completely deserted."

At this point, Yin Zhong sighed deeply. Jiushan City was originally a beautiful and strategically important place, but it was destroyed. It was truly regrettable, and it was unknown how long it would take to recover the lost resources.

"Alas, the nine provinces are all interconnected. The collapse and sinking of Xiyuan Prefecture will inevitably affect Tianhua Prefecture. Although there are no signs of it now, trouble is bound to arise in time."

Yin Zhong glanced at Meng Fan and said in a deep voice, "Brother Meng is right. This Broken Soul Valley is a place where the spiritual energy of the earth's veins in Rising Dragon Town is warning us. The miasma that is now surging is also a warning to us."

Just as Yin Zhong and Meng Fan were talking in the living room, a thought suddenly struck him. He stood up, walked out of the living room, and looked in the direction of Broken Soul Valley. "Brother Yin?"

Upon seeing this, Meng Fan hurriedly got up and came out, asking in a low voice.

"There seemed to be an unfamiliar aura lingering outside the Valley of Broken Souls just now, but this aura felt very familiar."

Thinking of this, Yin Zhong seemed to have thought of something, and immediately summoned the "Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument". The instrument was stimulated by true energy, and a dazzling red light spread throughout the courtyard, while a straight blood line pointed towards the direction of Broken Soul Valley and trembled slightly.

"Brother Meng, someone has broken into the valley. I'll go ahead first. You immediately lead men to seal off the valley, Tie Zheng."

Yin Zhong gave the order, and Tie Zheng immediately obeyed and went down. Then Yin Zhong's figure moved instantly, heading towards the direction of Broken Soul Valley.

Meng Fan knew the matter was serious, so he immediately returned to the government office, led a group of skilled men, and rode to Broken Soul Valley.

Outside the Valley of Broken Souls, a middle-aged man dressed in a blood-red robe was attempting to break into the formation.

"This formation is somewhat interesting, but it's no challenge for this humble Taoist."

Ge Zhen chuckled and summoned the "Blood God Battle." A ball of red light shone on the formation, causing ripples to spread. The runes that were originally hidden in the formation were now revealed, with crimson light flashing on them and bursts of crimson fire flying out to attack Ge Zhen.

Upon seeing the talisman, Ge Zhen snorted coldly, and with a single breath, the crimson flames formed from the talisman were quickly absorbed into the blood vessel.

"Yin Zhong can actually wield the Supreme Dao's Crimson Fire Talisman to such an extent; he's truly remarkable."

If Ge Zhen hadn't realized that the formation was set up using the "Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument," he wouldn't have dared to break it alone. The "Blood God Battle" and the "Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument" were treasures jointly refined by the Crimson Blood Demon Lord, and they naturally sensed each other, which is why Ge Zhen was able to find the loophole.

Seeing the Crimson Fire Talisman's spiritual light dimming, Ge Zhen smiled smugly. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a blood-red beam of light shot out from within, striking the Crimson Fire Talisman squarely. The blood-red light seeped in, the talisman shattered, revealing a gap. At the same time, the entire formation trembled slightly, and a jet of black miasma suddenly shot out from the gap.

"This is the one I've been waiting for."

Seeing the miasma break through the formation, Ge Zhen's eyes flashed, and he poured his true energy into the Blood God Battle in mid-air. A powerful suction force enveloped the miasma, and wisps of miasma were continuously drawn into it.

"With the nourishment of this miasma, Blood God Dou will be able to complete his transformation. At that time, I will also be able to carve out my own niche in this chaotic world."

As for avenging the Crimson Blood Demon Lord, Ge Zhen is no three-year-old. He hasn't been idle during this time either. The name of the True Martial Hall shocked him. Elder Gu and the others are all arrogant people. If Gu Xu didn't have real talent, they wouldn't submit to him. Ge Zhen knows his own abilities.

"By passing on this lineage of Daoist teachings to the Demon Lord, I can consider myself to have repaid his kindness in recognizing my talent."

However, after only a few breaths, the miasma was completely absorbed. Just as Ge Zhen was about to steal more miasma from the formation, he suddenly dodged to the side and took back the Blood God Fighter.

After regaining his balance, Ge Zhen saw a resolute man glaring at him.

Yin Zhong rushed over but was still a step too late. Seeing that the formation was damaged, he casually used a burst of true energy to temporarily seal the loophole. He looked at Ge Zhen with cold eyes and without saying a word, his sword blade flashed with cold light as he thrust it towards Ge Zhen.

Although the sword blade had not yet arrived, a chilling sensation that penetrated to the bone made Ge Zhen shiver.

"What powerful sword energy!"

Ge Zhen dared not fight head-on. He flicked his sleeve and threw out several pebbles to meet the sword energy. With a few hissing sounds, the pebbles were pierced into powder before they even got close to the sword energy. Amidst the scattering of dust, Ge Zhen's eyes narrowed and his body froze. A sharp sword light had already grazed past him, leaving a deep wound that revealed the bone. Before the blood could drip to the ground, it had already turned into ice beads.

Seeing that Ge Zhen had been injured by the sword energy, Yin Zhong pressed his advantage, his longsword spitting out sword light like a dragon raising its head or an eagle stretching its claws, accompanied by dense sword energy, forming an impenetrable sword net that firmly locked Ge Zhen within it.

Ge Zhen, deep within the sword net, had a very ugly expression. He had underestimated Yin Zhong's abilities. Putting aside the magic he knew, he was no match for Yin Zhong's sharp swordsmanship alone.

As the space continued to shrink, Ge Zhen reached out and sealed the wound. He chanted an incantation, and a hazy bloody light emanated from his body. The attacking sword energy seemed to be stuck, and its speed suddenly slowed down. With a tremor of the bloody light, all external forces disappeared.

Upon seeing this, Yin Zhong's eyes sharpened. It was that kind of technique again. He moved instantly, leaping above Ge Zhen. Looking at the bloody light below, he raised his longsword high, let out a deep shout, and a sword light over ten feet long slashed down, striking the blood shield squarely.

Although Ge Zhen used "Blood Floating Light" to block the sword light and sword energy, he knew he could not withstand the sword light that Yin Zhong was about to strike again. He immediately shouted and as the sword light struck the blood shield, a shocking explosion occurred. Ge Zhen, who was hiding inside, took the opportunity to rush into the distance.

But Yin Zhong would not let Ge Zhen go. He dodged and chased after him, launching several hidden weapons in succession. Ge Zhen suddenly heard the sound of something breaking through the air behind him. He immediately created three shadow clones, hiding his main body among them, and they immediately went in four different directions.

"Sculpture Skills"

Yin Zhong's eyes flashed coldly. He was extremely sensitive to auras. After a quick scan, he followed the figure to the east, while launching three Crimson Fire Talismans to pursue it from the other three locations.

Ge Zhen was shocked to realize that Yin Zhong was chasing after him. Suddenly, his mind stirred and he lost contact with the three avatars. In the instant Ge Zhen paused, Yin Zhong seized the opportunity and immediately summoned the "Blood Net Heavenly Instrument". At the same time, he flicked his hand and four jade talismans were placed in the four directions. With a flash of light, they wove a magic net, blocking Ge Zhen's way out.

Yin Zhong didn't want to talk to Ge Zhen, so he reached out and stirred the "Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument" on top, which started to rotate. Strands of blood flowed downwards. When Ge Zhen saw this, his expression changed. Seeing its bright spiritual light, it was clear that it had been refined for a long time.

Knowing the power of this magical artifact, Ge Zhen dared not be careless and immediately summoned the "Blood God Battle". A blood-red halo covered Ge Zhen from head to toe, just like a blood-red pagoda. When the blood lines touched it, they either collapsed or bounced away.

At the moment the "Blood God Battle" was unleashed, Yin Zhong sensed a yearning in the "Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument." If it could devour this object, the "Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument" would undergo a transformation and develop a spirit.

"Looks like I have another reason to get rid of you." Yin Zhong looked at Ge Zhen who was resisting below, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. Then he poured his true energy into the magic weapon, and a flood of blood lines wrapped around Ge Zhen. Although the Blood God Battle could shatter the blood lines, the magic weapon ultimately depends on the master's cultivation level.

Ge Zhen had already consumed some of his energy breaking the formation, and coupled with Yin Zhong's inferior cultivation, he could only hold on for a short while. The protective light formed by the Blood God Battle had already dimmed, and the blood lines wrapped the Blood Tower's light shield layer by layer, like a huge blood cocoon. After another three quarters of an hour, Yin Zhong noticed that the aura inside was extremely weak.

He immediately took to the air, his sword flashing repeatedly. The Blood Tower's protective shield, already strained, was severely damaged and shattered like glass, revealing Ge Zhen inside. The Blood Threads then took the opportunity to bind him.

Seeing the unmanned "Blood God Battle", Yin Zhong cast a hand seal on the "Blood Luo Heaven Instrument". The instrument hummed and trembled and spun continuously. Then, a blood-red light enveloped the Blood God Battle. The latter seemed to sense the danger and wanted to escape.

However, with the combined efforts of Yin Zhong and the "Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument", this treasure quickly melted and turned into pieces of pure bloodstone, which were rapidly devoured by the Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument. With each piece absorbed, the Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument would shrink by one point. In less than half an hour, the Blood God Battle was completely fused by the Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument.

The originally spherical Blood Luotian Instrument had been transformed into a prismatic crystal, faintly glowing with blood and seemingly containing flowing blood and qi. It looked like a living thing, and Yin Zhong was overjoyed to sense a faint spirituality emanating from it.

"Unexpectedly, there was an extra gain; it truly is a blessing from heaven."

The value of a treasure with spiritual power is worlds apart from that of one without. It can be said that possessing a spiritual artifact can increase one's combat abilities by more than 30%.

After a cursory inspection, Yin Zhong put away the magical artifact, waiting for a suitable opportunity to examine it again. He walked up to Ge Zhen, who was bound by blood threads. Yin Zhong looked at the unconscious Ge Zhen and showed him no courtesy. He used the Soul Searching Technique and quickly learned what he wanted. Then he lit a Crimson Fire Talisman and burned it completely, leaving no trace.

After dealing with Ge Zhen, Yin Zhong reorganized and repaired the formation of the Soul-Severing Forest. By the time everything was settled, Meng Fan and the others had already arrived.

(End of this chapter)