A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 174 Annihilating the Enemy in One Move

Seeing the rolling red smoke cloud, Gu Xu simply waved his sleeve, and a gentle breeze rushed towards it. The smoke cloud first stopped moving, then quickly dissipated, not even lasting a breath. This made Miao Zhi's pupils shrink.

"This person's skill is far beyond what I can withstand. For now, I have no choice but to use that Blood Fiend Yuan Power."

Seeing that Gu Xu hadn't taken the opportunity to make a move, Miao Zhi snorted coldly, then took out an exquisite glass bottle containing the Blood Fiend Yuan Power. This substance was extremely corrosive, and even a specially crafted incense flask could only last for a month before it had to be replaced.

Seeing Miaozhi take out the glass bottle, Gu Xu glanced at it briefly. This thing was nothing to him, but if it fell into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, it would be a deadly weapon.

"Master Gu Xu, this is a supernatural power that I have cultivated for a hundred years. Since I mastered it, no one has ever seen it. I would like to ask for your guidance."

Miao Zhi shouted, and his body shone with golden light. When Yin Hao looked over, he saw a dense golden cloud suddenly appear above the other's head, with something floating inside. As the true energy continued to circulate, the object became brighter and brighter.

With a crack, the glass bottle containing the blood-fiend power shattered. The blood-fiend power remained condensed and did not dissipate. Seeing this, Miaozhi pushed with both hands, and the vast true energy continuously merged into it. The golden and red light continued to merge, and in just a moment, it had absorbed 30% of Miaozhi's true energy.

"This trick does have a reputation. It uses incense and blood to combine poisonous substances with extremely yin substances. It can be considered an unorthodox method, but an unorthodox method is still an unorthodox method."

Gu Xu remained calm, waiting for his opponent to gather his strength. After another half a quarter of an hour, Miao Zhi's face turned pale. Ninety percent of his true energy had been poured into it. If this move failed to work, he would be defeated without even being defeated.

After the blood demon merged with the true energy, the gold and crimson colors were originally balanced. Then, the crimson light surged, swallowing up all the gold. The clouds churned and transformed into a terrifying skull, with two eerie flames burning continuously in its eyes.

"go."

As Miao Zhi's mind stirred, the skeletal evil form roared and charged towards Gu Xu.

Gu Xu remained motionless, calmly watching the howling skeleton. He pointed his finger, and a burst of "Ice Soul Mystic Light" flashed from his fingertip. The surrounding space instantly froze, and the charging skeleton was firmly trapped by a layer of frost. After only a few breaths, the skeleton shattered into pieces with a cracking sound.

The moment the skeleton was destroyed, Miao Zhi was severely injured. His face turned ashen, and his breath became weak. He said in a feeble voice, "I thought this move could harm you, but it seems I was just being delusional. Gu Xu, you win."

As soon as he finished speaking, the monk Miaozhi seemed like a leaky sack, his aura weakened instantly, and in less than a moment, he was completely lifeless. Even his physical body turned into dust, which was swept away by Gu Xu with a wave of his sleeve and scattered into the world.

"Are you a descendant of Yin Zhong?"

"Greetings, Daoist Master. I am Yin Hao, and my ancestor is Yin Zhongzheng."

Yin Hao was speechless with shock as he watched the arrogant monk Miaozhi being defeated by the Taoist priest in one move.

"The matter of the Blood Ruyi has not been resolved yet; you will need to handle the rest yourself."

Gu Xu came here mainly for the bloodthirsty power on Miao Zhi. Now that the bloodthirsty power has dissipated, his mission is complete. As for the fighting and killing in the martial world, that is no longer a concern for him.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior. I have learned a lot."

Yin Hao's heart sank when he heard this. Since the Taoist priest said that things were not over, there must still be some loose ends that had not been cleaned up. Perhaps this time, he could take advantage of the Blood Ruyi incident to give those restless sects a warning, so that they would not think that the Imperial Sword Manor was easy to bully.

Gu Xu nodded upon hearing this, then suddenly his mind stirred, and he looked in one direction. In a flash, he was gone.

After seeing Gu Xu leave and clearing away the traces of the battle, Yin Hao also returned to Tianqin Mountain.

"Brother!"

Although Yin Junyi knew his brother's abilities, he was still a little worried. If it weren't for taking care of Yin Tianqi and the others, he would have gone over there long ago.

"How are Tianqi and the others?" Yin Hao nodded to Yin Jun and then asked.

"I'm fine, just a bit drained of my energy. I should be able to recover easily by eating some energy-replenishing foods. Brother, did you find anything while you were chasing after that Fire Crow Master?"

"It's a long story, I'll tell you slowly on the way. Let's go."

Yin Jun didn't ask any more questions after hearing this. After the group finished packing, they left Tianqin Mountain in an orderly manner. Not long after they left, a figure appeared here.

"Yin Hao, Yin Jun, the grudge of the destruction of Tianqin Mountain today will be avenged!"

Yu Zheng stared at the direction they left with a ferocious expression. Now that Tianqin Mountain was destroyed, although those elite disciples had successfully escaped, it was still unknown whether they would be willing to return to the mountain gate.

Once the Imperial Sword Manor mobilizes its forces to search and suppress them, the fate of those disciples will be self-evident. What use will a commander without any troops be then?

"Perhaps we could try to contact them, but the cost would be quite high."

Yu Zheng was conflicted. Although the other side was powerful, they were still slightly inferior to Yujian Manor. Without sufficient sacrifice, they would not easily confront Yujian Manor.

"I've got it. The Blood Ruyi of the Imperial Sword Manor is an excellent bargaining chip. I heard that the man there doesn't have much time left. If they know about this rare treasure, it might be able to sway them."

With this in mind, Yu Zheng made up her mind and went to the ruins of the Five Sounds Pavilion. After the Imperial Sword Manor looted the place, everything of value on the ground was taken away.

"It should be here."

Yu Zheng shouted and swung her palm at the cleared area. With a loud boom, dust rose from the ground, and a few breaths later, a bottomless pit appeared in front of her. It was dark inside, like a gaping abyss, and a scorching heat rushed towards her.

Upon seeing this, Yu Zheng's expression turned solemn. She took a deep breath, leaped down, and her figure quickly disappeared.

On the other side, Yin Hao was talking to Yin Jun about what had happened before. When he mentioned Gu Xu's appearance, Yin Jun's face showed an incredulous expression, and his eyes were fixed on Yin Hao.

"Brother, is it really that person?"

Yin Jun was incredibly excited. Others might not know the details of Daoist Gu Xu's background, but he knew a little about it. The bloodbath that once swept across the entire continent was quelled by him. If his ancestor hadn't personally participated in that battle, he would have thought it was all made up.

Although I never witnessed that bloodbath firsthand, I knew how terrifying it was just from a few words in books. The land sank, the sun and moon were darkened, and tens of thousands of blood-red puppets appeared. Just thinking about it now makes my heart tremble.

"Senior's appearance was truly breathtaking, displaying divine grace and elegance. Second brother, before leaving, the senior left a message saying that the matter of the Blood Ruyi is not yet over. I suspect there will be changes on Longbo's side, and perhaps we should also inform Longze Manor."

Yin Jun nodded repeatedly upon hearing this and said solemnly, "Brother is right. Although Yujian Manor is not afraid of external enemies, there are quite a few people who don't like us, especially Qingshan Temple in Nanling Prefecture, which has always been at odds with us. It's hard to say whether they were behind this Tianqin Mountain incident."

Yin Hao remained noncommittal upon hearing this. There was already conclusive evidence that Tianqin Mountain was colluding with Buddhist sects in other regions, but he was not sure if it was connected with Qingshan Temple. However, his second brother was not wrong. The two sides had always disliked each other, and if Qingshan Temple knew that there was something to gain, it would naturally not let go of this great opportunity.

"We must deal with the disappearance of Yu Zheng from Tianqin Mountain and the escaped disciples as soon as possible to avoid leaving any loose ends. I don't want Tian Qi to have to deal with these messes on the first day of his term."

"Brother, rest assured, leave this matter to me. I will make sure it is resolved before Tianqi officially takes over the manor."

"Let's go, we still need to report to the ancestor."

The group rode their horses at full speed and finally returned to Yujian Manor after half a month.

While Yin Hao and the others were on their way, Gu Xu, with his swift light, broke through the air and arrived at Gui Mang Mountain. This place was originally sealed by a magic array set up by Gu Xu five hundred years ago, which continuously purified the earth's energy. With the passage of time and the help of the stars, it transformed from turbid to pure, and from a desolate place to a blessed land, full of vitality and prosperity.

However, today, the ground in Guimang Mountain shook violently. A section of the ground suddenly collapsed, turning into a bottomless pit from which a chilling, eerie aura emanated, freezing the surrounding area for miles around with frost. With a flash of light, Gu Xu looked at the scene before him with a solemn expression. He reached out and touched the pit, and a beam of golden sunlight shone into it. The chilling, malevolent aura instantly melted away like snow, and even the frost around it gradually melted. In just a few breaths, the pit was completely restored.

"This chilling aura has finally dissipated completely after five hundred years. This place will surely become a blessed land full of spiritual energy in the future. I wonder who is so fortunate to be here."

He threw out several array stones, covering the entire area within a hundred miles of Guimang Mountain, forming a simple illusion array. Anyone who could decipher this array could cultivate here.

"I almost forgot about you."

Gu Xu looked at the glimmer of light in the pit, and with a casual wave of his hand, a compass shimmering with starlight landed in his hand. This was the Zhou Tian Star Compass that Gu Xu had specially crafted to purify the earth veins. Now that his responsibility was fulfilled, there was naturally no need for it to guard this place.

"It's unexpected that it has even given birth to spirituality. It's a pleasant surprise. Well then, since you think so, I will grant your wish."

Gu Xu sensed the flickering spiritual light and understood the meaning of the Star Compass.

"This wisp of life-creating energy is enough for you to cultivate a spiritual body. As for whether you can take it a step further, that depends on your own destiny."

Gu Xu reached out and grabbed, and a stream of life-giving spiritual energy poured into the Star Disc. The latter hummed and cheered, circling Gu Xu three times before shrinking into a ball of spiritual light and disappearing into Gu Xu's sleeve.

"Yinmingchuan, Duanhun Valley and Nilize should be almost done as well."

After taking one last look at Guimang Mountain, Gu Xu's figure vanished instantly, heading towards the nearest Broken Soul Valley.

Several months later, an uninvited guest arrived at Qingshan Temple in Nanling Prefecture. Yu Zheng looked at the Taoist temple standing on the mountaintop, felt relieved, gripped the token in her hand, and quickly walked up.

Just as she reached the mountainside, two young Taoist priests dressed in blue robes stopped her and blocked her way with two long swords.

"This is Qingshan Temple. Outsiders are not allowed to enter without permission. Please leave, layperson."

Upon hearing this, Yu Zheng looked at the young Taoist priest in front of her. His breathing was deep and his eyes were filled with divine light. It was clear at a glance that he was a master who had achieved success in cultivating internal energy. She did not dare to say anything more, but simply took out a tiger-shaped jade token from her bosom and handed it over.

"Elder Yu Zheng of Tianqin Mountain has something to ask of your esteemed abbot. Please grant me an audience."

Seeing this, one of the Taoist priests glanced at Yu Zheng, carefully took the jade tablet, said a few words to his companion, and then quickly headed up the mountain.

"Please wait a moment, layman."

The young Taoist knew that the visitor must have some connection with the abbot, but he had to fulfill his duty and could not easily let the person up the mountain.

Yu Zheng nodded upon hearing this. In any case, the abbot of Qingshan Temple would know the meaning once he saw the jade tablet, and only after seeing the abbot would she have the opportunity to explain her purpose.

About three quarters of an hour later, the Taoist priest who had gone up the mountain to report returned. He bowed respectfully to Yu Zheng and then said in a solemn voice, "The abbot invites our distinguished guest to come up the mountain for a chat. Layman, please."

With that, she gestured, and Yu Zheng nodded her thanks. They walked up the mountain together. Along the way, there were blue stone steps, moss imprints, babbling brooks, and hidden pines and cypresses. As Yu Zheng entered this place, her originally troubled mood immediately eased. After walking up a thousand steps, passing a clear stream, and going around the Three Pine Pavilion, they finally arrived at an exquisite wooden house.

"Abbot, our distinguished guest has arrived."

"come in."

A gentle voice came from the wooden house, and with a creak, the wooden door opened. The young Taoist nodded to Yu Zheng, who immediately stepped inside.

As soon as she entered the wooden house, it was dark for a moment, then a light suddenly appeared. A tiny glimmer of light grew stronger and illuminated the entire room. Yu Zheng looked ahead and saw an old man in white robes sitting on a cloud bed, looking at her with a smile.

"Junior Tianqin Mountain Yuzheng greets True Man Qingshi."

"Elder Yu, please have a seat."

Upon hearing this, Yu Zheng immediately sat down on a chair to the side.

"Elder Yu, have you come to Green Mountain Temple because of something to do with Master Liu?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Zheng composed herself, her face filled with sorrow, and stood up, saying in a hoarse voice, "Master Liu has already lost his life at the hands of Yin Hao of the Imperial Sword Manor, and even Tianqin Mountain has been destroyed. I only escaped this calamity because I was away."

"What? This is unbelievable! Tianqin Mountain has always been peaceful and undisturbed by the world. How could it have come to such a state? Why would the Imperial Sword Manor do such a cruel thing? Elder Yu, do you know the reason behind this?"

Upon hearing this, the Green Stone Taoist's expression changed slightly, and he asked in a serious voice.

"After Tianqin Mountain was destroyed, I learned from some of the surviving disciples that Master Liu was deceived by a Taoist named Fire Crow Master. He planned to borrow several treasures from the Imperial Sword Manor's Blood Ruyi. However, Fire Crow Master was a hypocrite who took the Blood Ruyi and never returned. The Imperial Sword Manor then demanded an explanation from Master Liu."

At this point, Yu Zheng appropriately revealed a resentful expression.

"Master Liu originally intended to mobilize all the disciples of the mountain to search for him, but who knew that Venerable Fire Crow secretly controlled several disciples of Tianqin Mountain, killed several Iron Guards of Yujian Villa, and seriously injured Yin Tianqi, which led to the irreversible result."

"Blood Ruyi? What is that?"

"This junior doesn't know what this thing is either, but I've heard Master Liu mention it a few times before. It's a treasure of the Imperial Sword Manor, with the effects of prolonging life, maintaining youth, and enhancing cultivation. It's said that Master Le's cultivation increased dramatically in a short time because of this thing."

Upon hearing this, Qing Shi Dao Ren's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he sighed, "I am deeply sorry that Master Liu has met with misfortune. Yu Jian Manor was too arrogant, and Master Liu suffered an undeserved calamity. I wonder how Master Huo Ya is doing?"

"This junior is not sure about that. I have come from afar to ask the Daoist Master to seek justice for Master Liu and the people of Tianqin Mountain who died unjustly. I am willing to pay any price!"

As she spoke, Yu Zheng immediately knelt down and kowtowed, her resolute expression moving even the Qing Shi Daoist.

"Elder Yu, this matter needs further consideration. The Imperial Sword Manor is renowned, and Green Mountain Temple alone cannot contend with it. How about this, you stay in the mountains for a few days, and I will contact some other fellow Daoists to discuss it before giving you an answer. What do you think?"

"I will follow the Taoist priest's arrangements!"

"Ah."

Master Qing Shi was very satisfied with Yu Zheng's attitude. After he had someone take her away, a voice came from the cubicle next to Master Qing Shi.

"This person's words are full of loopholes, and nine out of ten of them are false."

"Oh, what is that one-tenth really?"

"The Blood Ruyi is an extraordinary item, and its effects are far more than what she mentioned. If we can obtain it, we might be able to expel the demonic energy from our bodies and break through the final barrier."

The Taoist Qing Shi remained silent. The temptation was immense, but the dangers involved were also considerable.

"Let's first find out what's been happening in the martial arts world recently, especially what's going on at the Imperial Sword Manor, before we make any further plans."

"That's fine then." The voice pondered for a moment before making its decision.

(End of this chapter)