A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 165 Tong Shi Longbo
Gu Xu looked at the nine-section bone whip in the demon's hand, and the golden sun on his body suddenly surged, with an even stronger golden light rushing up again. The space that was originally filled with baleful energy was instantly punched open with gaps of varying sizes.

Seeing this, the golem swung its bone whip, which cut through the water like a sharp blade. Although the incoming rays of light were cut in half, they quickly returned to their original state. Moreover, when they reassembled, they wrapped around the bone whip and continuously used the power of the blazing sun to purify the yin energy on it.

Seeing that his prized weapon had failed, the golem's scarlet eyes flashed, and two beams of red light clashed and slashed, instantly shattering the golden light on the whip. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the golem retracted the bone whip, and at the same time, it leaped into the air, a dark cloud obscuring Gu Xu's vision.

This is a supernatural power inherent in the golem, which can trap opponents within its own domain. Here, the golem can unleash its absolute power, and even if the opponent is stronger than it, in the long run, they will only face certain death.

As the light dimmed, Gu Xu looked at the dark clouds above and understood. Immediately, his mind stirred, and golden light rose from his body like the sun, quickly gathering in the sky. For a moment, the space was filled with only gold and black. However, the demonic statue had gone to great lengths to create this scene, so of course it wouldn't give Gu Xu a chance to catch his breath.

All around, endless black clouds gathered, and droplets of black rain, as if guided, formed a stream of black water that attacked Gu Xu. The golden light protecting Gu Xu was instantly neutralized upon contact with the black water. Although the golden light had the upper hand, the black water was inexhaustible. Once a stalemate was reached, the golden light would eventually be broken.

"You've learned quite a bit." Gu Xu snorted coldly upon seeing this. This black water was not water at all, but rather formed from condensed evil energy. If he were to truly use the Five Elements Technique to restrain it, the black water would definitely seize the opportunity to enter. In that case, not only would he fail to eliminate the black water, but he would also increase its power.

With a flick of his fingers, streaks of sharp sword light shot out from the golden light. Although the golem did not know the origin of this thing, it knew that it must be a powerful killing move. So, while controlling the black water to attack Gu Xu, it also condensed the baleful aura on its body into a shield.

The sharp sword light shot out like stars, striking the black aura shield. With each hit, the shield weakened. The golem's eyes flashed, its expression changed several times, and it roared as one of its arms silently severed itself. Amidst the black aura, it transformed into a black demonic dragon, which opened its mouth and swallowed the sword light like a whale sucking in water.

That wasn't all. The demonic dragon's command kept crashing against the protective light shield around Gu Xu's body, making a teeth-grinding crackling sound. Gu Xu's expression remained unchanged. He reached out and grabbed a bunch of green vines that suddenly came from all directions and quickly wrapped around the demonic dragon. The latter was originally showing off its power without restraint, but unexpectedly, one of its dragon claws was entangled by a vine.

The vines were tough and covered with sharp thorns. The demonic dragon struggled several times but failed to break free. What alarmed it even more was that the vines were constantly purifying the demonic energy within its body. Although they were difficult to shake, they made it very uncomfortable. The two completely incompatible true energies within its body collided, and the demonic dragon was immediately severely injured. Before the demonic statue could react, the demonic dragon was already obediently bound by the vines.

Gu Xu waved his hand, and the vines that wrapped the demonic dragon fell to the ground, quickly turning into a green vine cage. The cage was glowing with a faint green light and exuded a pure and holy aura. Upon seeing this, the demonic statue immediately increased the attack power of the black water and took the opportunity to unleash a blade of energy, slashing at the green vine cage.

The golem originally thought that even if the demonic blade couldn't break the cage, it could still cause some damage, but what happened next made its eyes shrink.

The moment the demonic blade struck the cage, the demonic energy immediately scattered. Before it could recombine, it was enveloped by a clear light, and the wisps of black energy were instantly refined and eliminated.

In the instant the golem clone appeared, the radiant light of the heavens spread out from Gu Xu's body, instantly blocking the black water flow. The golem's aura faltered. Just then, as the golem was stunned, the darkness in the sky was pierced by the heavenly light, and a ray of light shone on the golem, making a hissing sound.

The golem cried out in pain, raising all eighteen arms high, each wielding an evil weapon, and striking towards Gu Xu. Rolling demonic energy surged like waves, but the latter's expression remained unchanged. He released a burst of light from his body, colliding with the demonic energy and creating a deafening roar.

After blocking the golem's attack, Gu Xu reached out and summoned the Soul-Cleansing Mirror. Its clear light spread out, instantly stopping the previously unstoppable demonic energy, which then swirled back. Caught off guard, the golem staggered backward. A glint flashed in Gu Xu's eyes, and a sharp sword light shot out like lightning, intertwined with thunder, piercing through the golem's brain.

A few breaths later, the colossal golem crumbled like shattered stones, spewing dust across the ground, and the meticulously arranged black cloud canopy dissipated in response. The calamity force hidden within, seeing its vessel perish, tried to flee, but Gu Xu had been waiting for it and wouldn't let it escape so easily.

If it weren't for the power of calamity controlling things from behind, Gu Xu wouldn't have taken a single demonic golem seriously. Seeing the red light formed by the power of calamity flying rapidly outwards, Gu Xu swept his sleeve, and a frost-like power trapped the power of calamity from all directions.

The calamity repeatedly crashed against the ice wall. Although it was incredibly powerful, it gradually became overwhelmed by the continuous encirclement of the ice wall. Just then, a beam of clear light descended from the sky and enveloped it. No matter how much it struggled, it was all in vain. It was slowly sucked into the sky and fell into the treasure mirror.

Retrieving the treasure mirror, Gu Xu examined it closely. Although the calamity power was not as great as that of the Blood God, it was superior in its sheer quantity. If even this tiny wisp was so powerful, how astonishing would its power be once the great calamity erupted?

"I thought the great calamity would come in five hundred years, but unexpectedly, something unexpected happened."

Gu Xu calculated with his fingers, and after a moment, his expression became solemn. It seemed that this great calamity had sensed his arrangements and interference, and had actually occurred ahead of schedule. If his calculations were correct, this great calamity would begin to erupt a hundred years later and continue for several hundred years.

"When soldiers come, we will block them; when water comes, we will dam it. If the power of calamity is not eliminated, the world will not be at peace. We can only do our best to minimize the damage caused by the calamity."

After looking at the desolate scenery of the outer realm, Gu Xu gazed into the distance, then flashed back to Qingchao Peak. After returning to the Zhenwu Hall, he summoned Elder Gu.

"Your Majesty."

Elder Gu received the pill bestowed by Gu Xu, which further advanced his cultivation. However, he still could not control his aura at will, and his fierce aura made the area within three zhang around him feel as if it were being roasted by fire.

"Elder Gu, is there any news from Elder Zheng and the others?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, Elder Zheng and the others send messages every three days. Two days ago, Elder Zheng sent a message saying that there has been continuous flooding in Shangyuan Prefecture recently, resulting in many casualties; Elder Zhao also sent a message from Nanling Prefecture, saying that although the miasma has subsided somewhat, many rare and strange insects have bred, and several disciples have been poisoned, fortunately without any casualties..."

Elder Gu had prepared in advance and reported all the important information. Even if Gu Xu didn't ask, he would still have to say it, because these things were too strange and couldn't help but arouse suspicion.

Upon hearing this, Gu Xu pondered for a moment and said, "Send a message to Elder Zheng and the others, telling them to be careful in everything they do. If they encounter any danger, report it immediately. Elder Gu, I'll leave this matter to you."

Upon hearing this, Elder Gu immediately agreed and came down.

"I will be going out soon, and my return date is uncertain. I will have to trouble Elder Gu to take care of me while I am away."

Elder Gu repeatedly said he dared not, and after giving a few more instructions, he left the main hall.

Centuries passed in the blink of an eye. The states of Qi and Jin fought each other relentlessly until they were both severely weakened. The demon race and the Supreme Dao, who stood behind them, seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack and take over all the remnants of the two states. Jin was relatively unscathed, but Qi was plunged into another fierce battle.

The demon race's incense and deities clashed with the supreme Daoist arts, entangled for decades. During this time, countless people on both sides died, and the Chen family suffered a severe loss of talent. In the end, if it weren't for the protection of Anle City, the entire Chen family would have been wiped out.

The battle between the demon race and the Supreme Dao intensified, until finally even Ning Dao and Hu Xuan personally joined the fray. All four demon generals perished, and Ning Dao and the three Dao soldier puppets were utterly destroyed.

After the battle between Qi Feng and Qingshan Jun, both were seriously injured and fell into a deep sleep. The once powerful sect and demon clan forces disintegrated and were no longer as formidable as before. For a time, the entire Tianhua Prefecture became very peaceful.

With the Zhenwu Hall remaining indifferent to worldly affairs, only the Yujian Villa and the Long Clan are still active in Tianhua Prefecture. Although the two forces are not exactly on good terms and are even somewhat hostile, they are still within a controllable range. However, a recent event has brought the relationship between the two factions to a freezing point.

Several months ago, Tong Zhen, the clan chief of Shuiyue Cave, fell seriously ill and was nearing the end of his life. He specially ordered his son, Tong Zhan, to take over the Tong clan. However, Tong Zhan did not want his father to die. In the library, he learned that the Blood Ruyi had the power to bring the dead back to life.

"The Blood Jade is the most precious treasure of the Imperial Sword Manor and a symbol of the position of the manor lord. It will only appear during the enthronement ceremony."

After learning that Xue Ruyi was hidden in Yujian Manor, Tong Zhan finally made up his mind. Just as he was about to go to Yujian Manor through the Hell Rock teleportation array, Tong Xin saw him and started making a fuss. Tong Zhan had no choice but to take Tong Xin with him into the array.

Just as the two activated the formation, the five elders were simultaneously startled and rushed over to check. They found that the formation had been activated, and after questioning them, they learned about Tong Zhan and the other person's actions.

"This is utter nonsense, Elder Jin. We must not tell the clan leader about this. We need to think of a solution."

Elder Shui's face darkened. These two brats were ignorant of their own limitations. What kind of place was the Imperial Sword Manor? Even they wouldn't dare to barge in. Moreover, because of Yin Zhong, the two sides had never had any interaction. Now that the two of them had come to their doorstep, weren't they just asking for trouble?

“We can’t use the formation. It seems that if we want to bring them back, we’ll have to make a difficult trip for Long Bo.” Elder Jin watched as the formation gradually closed and then turned to Elder Shui to give him an order.

"I'll go and call Longbo right now."

After a short while, Elder Shui arrived with a young man in brocade robes. The young man was imposing and extraordinary, exuding an aura of dominance. Just by standing there, he inspired people to submit.

"Greetings, elders. May I ask what instructions you have for sending Longbo here?"

Long Bo was entrusted by his father, Long Ze, to come to Shuiyue Cave Heaven. His reasons were twofold: first, to welcome back the remains of his ancestor, Long Teng; second, to represent the Long clan in sending off Tong Town on its final journey; and third, to attend the Tong clan chief's succession ceremony.

Upon hearing this, Elder Jin briefly explained the matter, then said with a hint of apology, "Originally, this was an internal matter of the Tong clan, and it was not appropriate for you to interfere. However, the Tong clan has clan rules that prevent them from leaving Shuiyue Cave. I can only trouble you with this." After hearing this, Long Bo immediately replied, "Elder, what are you saying? The Long and Tong families have been on good terms for generations, and it is my duty to do this."

"Very well, as expected of men of the Long clan. Without further ado, we will help you open the formation. As long as you follow this route, you will find Tong Zhan and the others. Once you find them, use your true energy to light up this crystal, and we will bring you back."

As he spoke, Elder Jin handed a piece of parchment and a fire crystal to Long Bo. After the latter carefully put them away, Elder Jin and the other four reopened the formation. Upon seeing this, Long Bo clasped his hands in a salute, leaped down, and quickly disappeared.

"Hopefully those two lads haven't caused too much trouble." Elder Jin withdrew his hands, feeling quite worried.

"With Long Bo going, there should be no problem. The most important thing now is the clan leader. Without Tong Zhan, the succession ceremony cannot be completed. What if the clan leader doesn't live to see them return?"

Upon hearing this, Elder Jin stroked his beard and said, "No matter what, we must do everything we can to help the clan leader get through this period."

The other elders all nodded in agreement. After discussing for a while, the group left Hell Rock and went to the Blessing Square to channel their true energy into the unconscious Tongzhen.

In the Soul-Severing Forest of Yujian Manor, two figures descended from the sky and landed steadily on the ground.

"Big brother, where is this?" Tong Xin looked around and saw nothing but green bamboo.

Upon hearing this, Tong Zhan looked around and took out a leather map from his pocket. The map was marked with geographical locations. After carefully examining it, Tong Zhan was overjoyed. He hadn't expected to be so lucky and had actually landed in the Soul-Severing Forest.

"Hurry up!" Tong Zhan didn't have time to explain in detail. He pulled Tong Xin and headed towards a road. After identifying the direction, they headed towards Shenglong Town ahead. Pedestrians on the road only saw two white shadows flash by.

Half an hour after Tong Zhan and his companion disappeared, Long Bo emerged from a river.

"This is the Qingshui River, and it's still a few miles away from Yujian Manor."

After using his true energy to evaporate the moisture from his body, Long Bo took out a map to check and found that he was not far from the Imperial Sword Manor. If he had enough time, he might be able to run into Tong Zhan and the other two.

With a swift movement, Long Bo used his lightness skill to head towards the Imperial Sword Manor.

Just as the three of them were heading towards the Imperial Sword Manor, the manor was bustling with activity. The reason was that Yin Hao was preparing to abdicate and pass on the position of manor lord to his son, Yin Tianqi, and people from all sects and factions came to witness the ceremony.

In the main hall, Yin Hao said to Yin Jun, "Second brother, since all the sects and factions have come to observe the ceremony, we must not neglect the proper etiquette. In addition, the entire manor must be well-defended to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation."

Yin Jun said, "Brother, rest assured, everything has been arranged. With the Iron Guards here, no fool would dare to cause trouble at this time."

"It's hard to say. After hundreds of years of development, Yujian Manor has made many enemies. They are in the shadows, while we are in the open. No matter how well we plan, there will always be loopholes if we are determined to do so."

Upon hearing this, Yin Jun's expression turned serious. His elder brother was right. Especially in recent years, under his brother's leadership, all the sects in Tianhua Prefecture had lived in the shadow of Yujian Manor. Now that this great mountain was about to step down, perhaps some people wanted to test the new manor lord's abilities.

"Tianqi is exceptionally talented, and with the Blood Tempering Pill left by our ancestors, reaching the Innate Realm is a natural progression for him. Brother, you can rest assured."

"Although Tianqi is exceptionally talented, he lacks experience and is inevitably somewhat immature. I originally intended to mentor him for a few more years, but things didn't go as planned. According to our ancestral precepts, he must retire at the age of forty. Otherwise, I wouldn't be so worried. By the way, Tianhe should be back soon."

Upon hearing this, Yin Jun smiled and said, "Tianhe dislikes being restrained the most. If it weren't for this enthronement ceremony, he wouldn't have planned to come back."

Yin Tianhe, Yin Jun's only beloved son, is just as talented as Tianqi, but their personalities are completely opposite. Yin Tianqi is gentle, while Yin Tianhe is radical, especially fond of fighting for justice. In the martial arts world, the name Yin Tianqi may be rarely heard, but Yin Tianhe is a household name.

"Tianhe is at a very active and energetic age. If he could share half of that energy with Tianqi, I wouldn't be worried."

Yoon Jun smiled but didn't say anything.

Just as the two were talking, the Iron Guard Captain, Tie Feng, came to report.

"Master, Second Master, all the major sects have settled in the villas as previously instructed. In addition, the Three Heroes of Lingxi have arrived in Shenglong Town and are currently at the Yuelai Inn."

"Heh, these three heroes of Lingxi have come with ill intentions. It seems we didn't teach them a lesson back then. Give the order: if they don't make a move, let them be; if they dare to make any unusual moves, kill them immediately."

"Yes." Upon hearing this, Tie Feng clasped his hands in a salute, his iron armor swaying. Seeing that the two had no further instructions, he retreated.

“Brother, it seems your worries were justified. The Three Heroes of Lingxi are nothing but clowns. There must be someone behind them directing them.”

These three heroes of Lingxi were originally the seven heroes of Lingxi. Later, they robbed the escort mission of Yujian Manor. Four of them were killed by Yin Hao with his sword alone. The three weakest of them were rescued and unexpectedly appeared here today.

"As your brother, I know them too. You and I should both know who's behind them. Since they haven't shown any signs of aggression yet, and we don't have any solid evidence, we can tolerate things continuing like this. But it seems they're planning something big this time."

Upon hearing this, Yin Jun's eyes sharpened. "If they dare to make a move this time, we'll make sure they don't leave alive. As long as we have the evidence, none of their sects will escape."

"Okay, go and prepare."

"Yes."

After Yin Jun left, Yin Hao went to his residence, walked to the bedside, pressed the mechanism, and entered the secret room. After walking for a while, he entered an underground city. Without stopping, he soon arrived at the central hall. In front of him was a circular mercury pool with mercury flowing. Lying in the pool was a white-haired man who looked to be in his thirties or forties. This man was Yin Zhong.

Hearing footsteps, Yin Zhong opened his eyes, stood up, and got dressed.

"Yin Hao greets the Ancestor." Upon seeing Yin Zhong, Yin Hao immediately bowed and kowtowed, his attitude extremely respectful. This was the secret trump card of the Imperial Sword Manor, which had never been known to anyone.

"Get up. Did you come here because you need the Blood Ruyi?"

"Your Majesty, that's right. Tonight is Tianqi's enthronement ceremony, and it's time for the Blood Ruyi to recognize its master."

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhong's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and Yin Hao, who was opposite him, was startled. Then, a huge blood python sprang out of the mercury pool, circled around Yin Zhong a few times, and then lowered its head to enjoy Yin Zhong's comfort.

Although he had seen the blood python before, he still couldn't hide his horror when he saw it again.

Yin Zhong said a few words to the blood python, which then leaned forward, looked directly at its master Yin Hao, and spat out a blood-red scepter that floated in the air, emitting a shimmering blood-red light that reflected off the surrounding five-colored crystals, making it look extremely beautiful.

"Take this Blood Ruyi. You can teach Tianqi how to use it. Also, several auras that are no weaker than yours have appeared around the manor, and they contain malice. You should be aware of this."

Having received Yin Zhong's advice, Yin Hao said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, Ancestor, Yin Hao will definitely not let you down."

"Go."

(End of this chapter)