A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 168 Spirit Gathering Pearl
As soon as the zither music started, Yin Hao knew who it was. Only the "Heavenly Evil Zither" from Tianqin Mountain could produce this music, so the person must be a heavyweight from Tianqin Mountain.

Looking at the expressions of everyone in the arena, Yin Hao snorted coldly. He swept his sleeve towards the direction from which the zither music came, and a swift stream of air shot out. The eerie zither music suddenly stopped, and then it came crashing down like a tidal wave, with a chilling, ghostly wail that made people tremble with fear.

"Now that you're here, why bother with all this mystery? Show yourself!"

The loud noise temporarily suppressed the music. With a wave of his hand, Yin Hao ordered the guards to take away the unconscious people to prevent innocent people from being harmed if a fight broke out later.

Seeing this, the others who had recovered all got up and came to Yin Hao's side. No matter what, the invaders had angered everyone. If they did not fight alongside the Imperial Sword Manor now, they would have no face to stand in the martial arts world in the future.

As Yin Hao's voice faded, a dozen figures swiftly landed in the courtyard. At the head of the group was a woman with a thin veil covering her face, holding a black guqin with seven strings. Beside her were two old men, one dressed in red with a withered face, and the other in a green robe with a thin face. Both had a full head of white hair, but their eyes were very bright.

"Withered Pine, withered Plum, you're not dead yet." Yin Hao's gaze was fixed on the guqin in the veiled woman's hand. Yin Mang, the "Splitter Sword" beside him, spoke in a deep voice, recognizing the two's identities.

Yin Hao was slightly surprised upon hearing this. These two, Diao Song and Ku Mei, were also well-known evil figures in the martial arts world. They had disappeared after offending the Imperial Sword Manor. He never expected them to reappear today.

The withered old man in red was none other than Ku Mei. Hearing Yin Mang's words, he sneered, "You old ghost, you're still alive, so how could I not be here? Imperial Sword Manor, what a prestigious name. This time, you're doomed."

After glancing at the dozen or so people standing next to Yin Hao, Diao Song stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, we have some grudges with the Imperial Sword Manor. We ask that you do us a favor and not interfere in this matter. We will reward you handsomely afterward. Otherwise, don't blame us for being ruthless!"

Yin Hao and the others remained expressionless upon hearing this, but among the martial artists around him, a few had their eyes gleaming. After hearing the names Diao Song and Ku Mei, they secretly lamented that they should not have aligned themselves with Yu Jian Manor so soon. Those two were ruthless and heartless, and their small sect could not afford to offend them.

"Master Yin, we have remembered that we have important matters to attend to at our sect. The ceremony is now over, so we will take our leave." The middle-aged man with the knife at the head of the group met Yin Hao's gaze and said in a strained voice.

Following the middle-aged man with the knife were six other people, all of whom lowered their heads, not daring to look at the eyes of the people around them.

"Boss Wu, take care and don't come back."

Yin Hao's calm words put Wu Da's mind at ease. He clasped his hands in a salute and quickly left with the six people behind him. There was no obstruction from Tianqin Mountain.

"Gentlemen, this is a private matter of the Imperial Sword Manor. Please leave."

After waiting for a while, no one left. Yin Hao was moved, but he didn't want anyone to get involved. The Imperial Sword Manor could handle the people from Tianqin Mountain.

"What are you saying, Master Yin? Tianqin Mountain is an evil sect. As righteous people, how can we flee without a fight? Moreover, many of our disciples are injured by the music of the zither. It's no longer just Master Yin's problem. No matter what, Tianjia Sect will not leave!"

The speaker was Guan Yan, the deputy sect leader of Tianjia Sect. Tianjia Sect is one of the three sects with the closest relationship with Yujian Villa. It is said that the sect's armor-making technique was obtained from Yujian Villa.

“Vice Sect Leader Guan is right. Manor Lord Yin, there’s no need to discuss this matter further. Whatever the outcome, we will bear it ourselves. However, Tianqin Mountain has willingly fallen into depravity, dancing with the evil sects. I want to ask Liu Xuanwei how she teaches her disciples!”

As soon as the man uttered those words, he felt a murderous intent envelop him. Before he could react, a dark light shot towards him with incredible speed. Just when the man thought his life was in danger, a long sword was handed to him. The hidden weapon struck the scabbard squarely; it was a flying needle that shimmered with blue light.

"Flying needles of immortality, what a vicious woman." Yin Jun sheathed his sword, looking at the charred patch on the scabbard.

Upon seeing this, the man who had spoken earlier broke out in a cold sweat. These Immortal Feather Flying Needles were a unique hidden weapon of Tianqin Mountain, originally used to seal true qi. He never expected that they would be coated with a deadly poison, truly vicious.

"How dare you, a lowly person, utter the name of my master? You have no sense of right and wrong!" the veiled woman said indifferently.

"We do not know your name, but the Imperial Sword Manor does not kill nameless people."

Yin Jun, at Yin Hao's signal, stepped forward and asked the veiled woman in front of him.

"Zhong Ping".

Yin Jun was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and then silently returned to Yin Hao's side.

"Master Yin, further words are useless. A battle is inevitable today. Let's fight!"

Zhong Ping gave a cold shout, and a dozen figures flew out from behind her, attacking the people from Yujian Villa. Among them, four experts directly confronted Yin Mang, Yin Rui, Yin Zheng, and Tie Yun, while Diao Song and Ku Mei confronted Yin Hao and Yin Jun respectively.

As for Zhong Ping, she leaped onto the rooftop, her delicate hands lightly plucking the strings, her ten fingers strumming in rapid succession, the Heavenly Evil Zither playing its evil notes once more. The invisible power of the sound waves was omnipresent, filling the entire courtyard. The Heavenly Zither Mountain side was prepared, while the Imperial Sword Manor side was disturbed by the zither music, and their strength was immediately greatly reduced.

Yin Tianqi nodded to Tie Feng, who immediately understood and led the remaining people to attack Zhong Ping, attempting to disrupt her playing.

"Unbelievable!"

Zhong Ping sneered, exerted force with both hands, and plucked the strings of her zither. Invisible sound blades pierced through the air. Tie Feng's expression changed upon seeing this. He shouted "Be careful!" and his figure flashed. At the same time, he slashed horizontally with his long sword, responding to his opponent with a white light. Although Tie Feng dodged, the three iron guards following behind him were not so lucky.

Although Tie Feng warned them, it was too late. The sonic blade sliced ​​through the armor of the three Iron Guards in two, blood gushing out, and their bodies crashed to the ground.

Yin Tianqi was shocked to see that the other party had seriously injured three elite Iron Guards with just an ancient zither.

"This zither is truly amazing."

Without a second thought, Yin Tianqi seized the opportunity to leap up and, together with Tie Feng, attacked Zhong Ping from the left and right. Both of them were more skilled than Zhong Ping. If it weren't for the Tianxie Qin, Tie Feng was confident that he could defeat her within a hundred moves.

Seeing that the two attacked at the same time, Zhong Ping dared not be careless. She channeled all her power into the Heavenly Evil Zither. With a few clear ringing sounds, eight sound blades attacked Yin Tianqi and Tie Feng. While the two were defending, she played an evil melody to expand her advantage.

The battlefield was in complete chaos. The most intense battle was between Diao Song and Ku Mei against Yin Hao and his brother. Every time they clashed, shockwaves surged and rocks crumbled, and many people were unable to dodge in time.

"Why don't those two old geezers enjoy their retirement? Why are they out here making a fuss? They might end up losing their life savings."

Yin Hao knocked Diao Song away with a single palm strike and calmly looked at his opponent.

While Diao Song was secretly shocked, hearing these words immediately aroused his competitive spirit. Yin Hao was less than half his age, but his skill was in no way inferior to his own. How could he not be angry?

Invited to help in this battle, owing a favor is one thing, coveting the many treasures of the Imperial Sword Manor is another, but now, being able to personally kill a genius is even more exciting.

"You little brat, you've got quite the nerve. Let's see if you can pull it off!"

With a ferocious grin, Diao Song unleashed two ghastly green palm winds from his pale hands. Wherever they struck, trees withered and rocks turned black. Upon seeing this, Yin Hao's expression turned serious. As he dodged to the side, he also unleashed two palm winds. When they collided, an astonishing scene unfolded.

As Yin Hao's palm wind was gradually swallowed up by Diao Song's palm wind, its momentum grew stronger, forming a miniature tornado that kept approaching Yin Hao.

"I never imagined that you would have mastered the Soul-Slaying Hand technique, which had been lost for many years."

Yin Hao swept out a gust of wind with one palm, which collided with the tornado palm energy. With a loud bang, the force collided and Yin Hao took a step back, but his expression remained normal. On the other hand, Diao Song took three steps back, and his face suddenly turned red. Although the redness quickly dissipated, the difference in strength between the two was obvious.

"Even if you master the Soul-Severing Hand, you will not escape death!"

Looking at the sounds of fighting all around him, Yin Hao felt a chill in his heart. He reached out and drew a long sword into his hand. He trembled the sword three times, and three sword lights, fast, slow, and deliberate, were unleashed in succession, attacking Diao Song's three vital points. Upon seeing this, Diao Song's face turned pale. He had seen this sword technique before.

"Three swords remain to save the immortals!"

With a cry of hatred, Diao Song quickly dodged to the side, his hand blazing with emerald light as he unleashed a full-force attack on the three sword lights. The emerald palm energy condensed like azure clouds, while the Three Immortal Swords seemed like soaring dragons. The three sword lights fell into the emerald clouds one after another. Several breaths later, the emerald clouds remained, and Diao Song breathed a sigh of relief, his heart filled with lingering fear.

He suffered from this sword technique back then, which is why he painstakingly cultivated this Soul-Slaying Hand, which is specifically designed to obliterate spirituality. If any one of these three swords is missed, it will be a failure. Only by trapping and obliterating it together can the great success be achieved.

Judging from the angle and power of Yin Hao's attack, it was far inferior to that of his predecessor. This made it even more foolproof. Moreover, this move consumed a lot of true energy. If he could not achieve success in one strike, his momentum would definitely weaken.

"You little brat, let me send you to meet your King of Hell."

With a sinister laugh, Diao Song leaped into the air and swooped down, his right hand forming a claw as he reached for Yin Hao's throat. But when he saw the latter's calm demeanor and the mocking look in his eyes, Diao Song's heart trembled. He knew something was wrong and was about to turn around to deflect the force.

However, Yin Hao had finally managed to trick him, so he wasn't going to give up so easily. He reached out and grabbed, and the three sword lights that had disappeared into the blue clouds suddenly intensified, piercing through the blue clouds' palm energy and heading unstoppably towards Diao Song. The latter had nowhere to block in mid-air and could only try his best to activate his protective aura.

With three soft hissing sounds, Diao Song's face showed disbelief. He let out a miserable howl, blood splattering all over his body. He collapsed to the ground, barely breathing, pointing at Yin Hao, "You, you..."

Before he could finish speaking, to everyone's horrified gaze, Diao Song's entire body suddenly swelled up and then exploded, showering everyone present with a rain of blood. The sudden turn of events caused the others who were fighting to change their expressions drastically. "Diao Song!"

Ku Mei was fighting Yin Jun, and their skills were almost equal. It would take hundreds or thousands of moves to determine a winner. However, when masters fight, they must be fully focused. Ku Mei first heard Diao Song's miserable screams, and then witnessed the tragic scene with his own eyes. His breath hitched, and in that instant, Yin Jun seized the opportunity.

Diao Song met a gruesome end, his companion Ku Mei quickly followed in his footsteps. First, he was distracted and injured by Yin Jun's sword, then he was attacked by Yin Hao and Yin Jun. He couldn't even withstand three moves before Yin Jun beheaded him with a sword, and his body was smashed to pieces by Yin Hao's Mountain-Pushing Palm.

With two top experts dying one after another, the Tianqin Mountain side was terrified. The advantage they had gained from the music was gradually reversed. In just a short while, apart from the four elders of Tianqin Mountain who were still struggling to hold on, only Zhong Ping remained.

"Second brother, you go and help the elders take down those four old guys. I'll deal with that little girl. Tianxieqin is not easy to handle."

Yin Hao gave Yin Jun an order, and the latter immediately took his sword and went to help Yin Mang and the others.

Seeing that Yujian Villa had resolved the situation so quickly, the other participants wisely stepped aside and handed the battlefield over to Yujian Villa, since they were no match for Tianxieqin.

Since their fight with Zhong Ping, Yin Tianqi and Tie Feng have not been able to unleash their full strength. Whenever they try to use a killing move, the opponent's sonic waves will disrupt their rhythm first, which infuriates Yin Tianqi.

"This Heavenly Evil Zither is truly wicked!" Yin Tianqi swept out with his sword, but it was blocked by the sound blade halfway through. On the other side, Tie Feng was specifically targeted, and Zhong Ping's strength was six-tenths of his.

Although Zhong Ping had the upper hand thanks to the Heavenly Evil Harp, she was also entangled here and unable to provide assistance. It was this delay that caused a dramatic change in the battle situation below, especially the deaths of Diao Song and Ku Mei, which made her beautiful face change drastically.

With gritted teeth, Zhong Ping's face grew increasingly grim. Seeing that things were hopeless, and in an attempt to escape, she plucked the strings of her zither with both hands and played "The Song of Heavenly Enchantment" once more.

"I thought that even if we lost this battle, we could still severely damage the Imperial Sword Manor. I didn't expect that I still underestimated its strength. Master, you misjudged it."

Taking advantage of the music temporarily forcing Tie Feng and the other man back, Zhong Ping put away the Heavenly Evil Zither, turned around and left, completely ignoring the four Heavenly Zither Elders who were still fighting below.

She was quite skilled in light-footed martial arts, and just as she was about to fly out of the courtyard, she suddenly heard a whooshing sound beside her ear. She glanced over and was immediately terrified, her face turning pale.

A sharp white light appeared behind her, carrying the intense power of the celestial sun, shaking the space. Zhong Ping struggled to gather her remaining true energy, and her speed suddenly increased, but the sword light behind her was even faster. A scream was heard, and a black shadow fell from the sky.

Yin Tianqi, who was chasing from behind, took a closer look and realized that it was Tian Xieqin. He immediately rolled up his sleeve and pulled the guqin into his arms. At this moment, there was a beautiful middle-aged woman with a white face next to Zhong Ping. She was dressed in white, her face covered with a thin veil, and her toes were touching a leaf as she looked at Yin Hao flying towards her.

"Lord Liu, you've finally shown yourself!"

"Master Yin, it's been a long time."

Yin Hao waved for Tie Feng and Yin Tianqi to step back, then stood on the artificial rock, looking at Liu Xuanwei with a slightly cold gaze.

"Master Yin, this time Yujian Manor has a slight advantage, but Tianqin Mountain will not give up so easily. If the martial world knows the effects of the Blood Ruyi, can you guarantee that no one will be tempted? Today only my family is here, but in the future there will surely be hundreds of sects. I wonder if Yujian Manor can withstand it?"

Liu Xuanwei's malicious words triggered Yin Hao's murderous intent. Although this person's master had some relationship with his father, it was not enough to save her life.

Thinking of this, Yin Hao slowly drew his long sword, pointed it at Liu Xuanwei, and said coldly, "If you don't make a move now, you'll have no chance."

Liu Xuanwei chuckled and waved her hand behind her. Four girls in white carried Zhong Ping away quickly. Yin Tianqi wanted to chase after them, but was stopped by Tie Feng.

“Master, Zhong Ping’s escape is not a big deal. The key issue is the master of Tianqin Mountain.”

Upon hearing this, Yin Tianqi stopped in his tracks, looked at the Tianxie Qin in his arms, and, thinking of the strangeness of the object, handed it to Yin Jun who had rushed over.

“Master Yin, we have known each other for a long time, but we have never fought. Today, let me learn a thing or two from you.”

As soon as Liu Xuanwei finished speaking, a blue light rushed towards Yin Hao. The latter remained calm, twirled his longsword, and with a flick of his wrist, struck the blue light. The blue light shattered, revealing the true form of the weapon: a blue ribbon.

After a brief exchange, Yin Hao, having gauged the situation, leaped forward and unleashed his inner energy. His longsword flashed, striking Liu Xuanwei with lightning speed. Upon seeing this, Liu Xuanwei shifted back, her silk ribbons fluttering as she attacked Yin Hao from both ends.

Seeing the ribbon flying towards him, Yin Hao suddenly lunged forward, his longsword flashing white light as he unleashed a "Heavenly River Star" attack towards Liu Xuanwei.

When the strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" failed, Liu Xuanwei quickly changed tactics. The ribbons were quickly retracted and then, under the control of her true energy, coiled like a dragon, wrapping around the long sword in Yin Hao's hand.

This "Flowing Wave Ribbon" is one of the top weapons of Tianqin Mountain. It is made entirely of silkworm silk and a hundred-fold forged black iron wire, making it impervious to swords and spears, and immune to water and fire. It is incomparable to ordinary divine weapons.

The flowing ribbon spread out in front of him, blocking the Heavenly River Star outside, while continuing its momentum towards Yin Hao. If he were hit by this attack, he would be seriously injured.

Yin Hao's eyes flashed, but he neither dodged nor avoided. He moved the longsword he was about to retract forward by three more points. The longsword, which was flashing with white light, was immediately entangled by the Liubo Silk. Yin Hao's expression changed, while Liu Xuanwei smiled triumphantly.

"Yin Hao, you want to use offense as defense and advance as retreat, but you don't know how powerful my weapon is. Without the longsword, how can you accomplish anything with just your bare hands?"

Liu Xuanwei poured in her true energy, causing the Liubo Silk to vibrate and hum. Yin Hao's longsword also seemed to be out of control. After a few breaths, Yin Hao loosened his grip, and the longsword slipped from his hand. With a crisp sound, the longsword was shredded into pieces by the Liubo Silk. A gust of wind swept in, and the broken blades rained down on Yin Hao. Meanwhile, the Liubo Silk hidden behind him seized the opportunity to attack.

Just as Liu Boling was about to entangle Yin Hao, Liu Xuanwei felt a sense of horror. Her heart trembled and her hands unconsciously slowed down. She looked up at Yin Hao, and his calm gaze confirmed her guess.

"Oh no, this is definitely a trap!"

With a flick of her wrist, Liu Xuanwei quickly withdrew the Flowing Wave Ribbon that had been attacking. Without stopping, she unleashed more than a dozen "Fairy Feather Needles" with both hands, trying to stop Yin Hao. In just a few leaps, she was about to disappear into the courtyard.

With a "bang," Liu Xuanwei's fleeing figure paused slightly, then she sped away even faster. A moment later, a venomous voice reached everyone's ears.

"Yin Hao, I will remember this strike and avenge this humiliation in the future!"

Yin Hao didn't care at all. After being hit by his Mountain-Piercing Palm, it would take several years to fully recover. In the meantime, he could clear away any obstacles in front of his son.

"Dad, are you okay?"

"It's alright, Second Brother. Cut off all those people's heads and I'll deliver them to them one by one in the future. As for Old Monster Qiu and Zhou Qing, deal with them as well."

"yes, Sir."

On the other side, after Tong Xin woke up, Tong Zhan immediately activated the fire crystal. The five elders of Shuiyue Cave Heaven received the news immediately, opened the array gate, and brought Tong Zhan and Tong Xin back together.

"Young clan leader, where is Long Bo?"

"My elder brother had something to attend to and sent us back first. Elder Jin, how is my father?" Tong Zhan asked anxiously.

"The clan leader is in very bad shape. The hidden cultivator is currently praying for the clan leader, but it is of no use."

Elder Jin sighed. Birth, aging, sickness and death are the will of Heaven. Since the great calamity of Heaven and Earth, the lifespan of the Tong clan has been almost the same as that of ordinary people.

“I have a way to prolong my father’s life. I’m going to the prayer square. Tongxin will be in your care for now.”

Upon hearing this, Tong Zhan was filled with grief. He immediately thought of the jade bead that Long Bo had given him and hurriedly headed towards the Prayer Square.

At this moment, in the prayer square, Yin Xiu was praying for blessings, but to no avail. Instead, because he used the wrong spell, he was struck by heavenly lightning. If it weren't for the barrier blocking the way, he would have been covered in dust and dirt.

"Why isn't it working? It should be like this!"

When Tong Zhan arrived, he saw the hermit muttering to himself. He didn't have time to talk to him and placed the jade bead that Long Bo had given him on the chest of the unconscious Tong Zhen.

However, after a while, a burst of shimmering white light enveloped Tong Zhen's body, and his previously barely perceptible pulse gradually became clear, while his pale complexion slowly began to regain its rosy hue.

The hermit's old eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost, and he let out a loud cry.

"Spirit Gathering Pearl!"

(End of this chapter)