A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 184 Battle of the Red River
Upon hearing this, Gu Xu said calmly, "Fellow Daoist, I originally thought that after ten years, you would have realized your mistake and returned to the right path. I did not expect that you would endure with hatred until now. It seems that you are determined to fight to the death."

With icy eyes, Gu Xu looked at Qing You across from him. Ten years ago, when Gu Xu was traveling, he saw Qing You and his Daoist partner committing evil deeds near Bibo Mountain. They were using the souls of ordinary people to refine a vicious magic weapon. Gu Xu killed his Daoist partner. Later, when he wanted to deal with Qing You, he was recalled by Yan Chixia with a golden token.

"It's a matter of life and death, yes, it's a matter of life and death. Now that I have mastered supernatural powers, Gu Xu, prepare to die."

Qingyou let out a cold shout, her body suddenly leaping forward, a long, serpentine sword with a faint green light in her hand, carrying a bloody stench, thrusting towards Gu Xu.

Seeing this, Gu Xu reached out and grabbed the Azure Thunder Sword. He unleashed a lightning-fast sword light to meet the attack. Thunder roared and lightning flashed, and his imposing presence immediately overwhelmed Qing You's aura.

"It's this trick again."

Seeing that Gu Xu was using the same old trick again, Qing You slashed with her longsword, and clusters of green light condensed into arrows, which shot straight away. The sea of ​​lightning arrows collided with each other, and a series of shocking explosions rang out.

A full quarter of an hour passed before the explosions gradually subsided. Gu Xu held his sword upside down, calmly looking at the figure in front of him. A cold glint suddenly shot from the left and right, but Gu Xu's figure drifted, wielding his sword as if it were an extension of his arm, and he blocked both killing blows.

Qingyou's figure was strange, and he thrust four times in succession, but he could not break through Gu Xu's defense. After being forced back by Gu Xu again, Qingyou's eyes sharpened, and he reached out and summoned a green lamp. As soon as this thing was released, the sky above where the two of them were located turned green, and its range continued to expand.

"I never imagined you would actually manage to forge this magical artifact. Qingyou, you deserve to die."

Gu Xu looked at the lamp appear and his face showed anger for the first time. He only knew that the method of refining this thing was very cruel, but he didn't know its purpose. However, he didn't need to know. Anyway, this magic weapon could not be preserved.

"Gu Xu, I have spent hundreds of years refining this Azure Netherlight Lamp, and finally I have achieved my goal. Today, I will use you as the first sacrifice to open the divine aura of my treasure."

Qingyou pointed a finger, and the "Azure Netherworld Lamp" suddenly lit up, and an eerie green mist appeared around it, growing thicker and thicker. Soon, Qingyou's figure disappeared, but his voice came from all directions, each sound shrill and chilling.

"This green mist has the function of isolating divine sense and hiding one's figure. No wonder Qingyou dared to come to our door so openly. He must have something to rely on, but it is destined to be in vain."

Just as Gu Xu was about to make his move, he suddenly had a thought and stepped to the left. Looking back, he saw a pair of green hands emerging from the ground where he had been standing. The hands had sharp fingernails and were shrouded in wisps of green mist. The rocks next to him, touched by the hand, immediately became rotten and decayed as if they had been there for a long time. They were blown into dust by the shockwave and scattered by the wind.

"Gu Xu, how does my magic weapon taste? This was specially prepared for you. Devouring such a master will surely elevate my magic weapon to a higher level. The show is just beginning, enjoy it slowly, hahaha."

Gu Xu paid no attention to the threatening voice. He looked at the green mist coming from all directions, and then he released golden light from his body, as bright as the sun. Any green mist that came near was instantly evaporated. In just a few breaths, as the golden light covered more and more areas, the green mist slowly retreated to the surroundings.

Seeing this, Qingyou, hidden in the green mist, narrowed his eyes slightly. After a moment of silent observation, he understood some of the intricacies of the matter. This supernatural power was vast and mighty, and anything incompatible with it would be rejected. Of course, this also required the user to have strong mental strength to support it.

Qingyou looked at Gu Xu with apprehension. The key to this supernatural power lies in the master. The more profound the master's magical power, the greater the power. She was at a disadvantage in this regard. It would be unwise to get entangled with him in this place where power is used to oppress others.

"Since you want to use your power to intimidate others, then I will use the art of transformation to trap you alive and see if your magic power is greater or my transformation is faster."

Thinking of this, Qingyou held the Azure Light Lamp in his hand and silently recited the incantation. Circles of azure ripples poured down from the lamp toward Gu Xu, and clusters of azure light collided with the golden light. Although they were quickly shattered, the scattered azure light was like fine needles, constantly striking the golden light from all directions.

"These Azure Needles are most effective at stealing spiritual energy and altering one's own destiny. Gu Xu, let's see what other tricks you have up your sleeve this time!"

Although the Azure Needle is extremely fine, it takes away a trace of spiritual energy every time it collides with the golden light. As time goes by, the golden light seems to be devoured, with countless tiny holes appearing on all sides. The green mist that was originally pushed aside takes the opportunity to squeeze in through the holes, forming strange and evil creatures that bar their fangs and claws at Gu Xu.

Seeing this, Gu Xu frowned, and with a flick of his sleeve, the green monster was shattered before it could even reach him. However, the scattered green mist was quickly swallowed up by other monsters. In just a few breaths, a one-eyed, four-armed monster, wielding four sharp bone spikes, fiercely attacked Gu Xu.

"I see, that's quite a clever idea."

With a single sword strike, Gu Xu deflected the monster's attack and then slashed at its eyes with a flash of lightning. The monster's body froze for a moment, then exploded in a burst of light, its body shattering into countless wisps of green mist. These wisps of green mist seemed to possess a spirit, attempting to coalesce and reshape themselves, but just as they merged into one place, they were once again cleaved into more than a dozen wisps by the lightning.

"not good!"

Hidden outside, Qingyou's expression changed. Gu Xu's sword light just now contained lightning power, and this sword was specifically designed to target the green mist. As long as the green mist did not dissipate, the lightning would continue to strike endlessly, and its power would increase with each strike until the green mist dissipated.

But that's not the most troublesome part. Gu Xu had already discerned some clues from the direction of the gathering green mist. If he had more time, he would surely be able to find Qing You's hiding place. Once his figure is exposed, the difference in their strength will be too great, and Qing You will inevitably face certain death.

"You are indeed impressive. It seems you haven't wasted these years. However, my abilities are not limited to this. How will you deal with my next move?"

Qingyou shook the lamp, and the light suddenly shone brightly. The green mist that was entangled by lightning turned grayish-white, and then a cloud of grayish-white dust fell to the ground.

Then, the lamp was shaken again, and a cloud of emerald green lingzhi mushrooms appeared above the valley, with wisps of green light descending from the sky, just like a green cage, trying to trap the valley inside.

Seeing this, Gu Xu remained still, his Azure Thunder Sword humming and vibrating. Qing You, who was hiding nearby, only felt a sound in his ear and his mind went blank for a moment. When he came to his senses, he was shocked by the scene in front of him.

The sky full of azure clouds was now enveloped by a ball of lightning. Whenever the clouds surged, they were struck by lightning. In just a few breaths, Qingyou noticed that the flame of the Azure Netherlight Lamp in his hand had weakened considerably, and even the green mist in his hiding place began to slowly dissipate.

Just as he was about to conceal his presence, he felt a jolt of fear. A sword light was rushing towards him. Sensing the lightning on the sword, Qingyou dared not take it head-on. He moved several feet away in a flash, but before he could catch his breath, a crimson light swept in from his left. Everything it touched turned to ashes.

Seeing this, Qingyou felt uneasy, as if she had overlooked something, but she couldn't remember it for a moment. Just as the sword light and crimson light came at her, Qingyou held up the Azure Qi Netherlight Lamp. As the candlelight flickered, a layer of green smoke blocked her way.

Although the sword light and crimson glow quickly broke through the obstacles, this short time was enough for Qingyou to create distance and prepare to use other methods.

But Gu Xu, standing to the side, would not give him any chance to retaliate. With a wave of his hand, the "Purifying Soul and Heart Mirror" was already in the air. As soon as the mirror light shone, a large hole was torn in the green mist that covered the sky. Gu Xu reflected the power of the sun, and the mirror light suddenly shone brightly. The green mist that stretched for several miles was instantly melted away.

Once Qingyou lost the cover of the green mist, her figure was immediately exposed to Gu Xu. Looking at Gu Xu's cold and ruthless gaze, Qingyou was terrified.

“Gu Xu, I have already cultivated an immortal body. Even if you have a treasure, you cannot harm me in the slightest. If you can spare my life, I swear that I will never oppose you and the Xuanxin Sect again.”

Under the light of the mirror, Qingyou was in unbearable pain, and black smoke billowed from his body. His true form was a three-hundred-year-old pine tree, which was most afraid of the blazing fire of the Heavenly Sun. Moreover, there was a sword light swirling around him, and the elements of metal and fire were exactly what restrained the wood element.

Gu Xu ignored him and continued to activate the magic weapon, which instantly increased its disinfecting power. Although Qing You had the Azure Netherlight Lamp in hand, he was powerless at this moment. As the last flame of the lamp went out, Qing You could only rely on his own strength to fight against the two treasures. Before he knew it, half an hour had passed.

"Gu Xu, you will die a horrible death!"

With a ferocious expression, Qingyou stared at Gu Xu, uttered a final curse, let out a miserable howl, and his body was instantly engulfed by the Mirror Light Heavenly Fire. In less than half a breath, he was completely annihilated, both in body and soul.

Just as Qingyou died, the Azure Netherlight Lamp seemed to want to take the opportunity to escape, but it was surrounded by the light and could not break through the light barrier no matter how it tried to break through. Gu Xu's eyes turned cold and he pointed his finger, and a "Ice Soul Profound Light" struck the treasure directly.

The Azure Netherlight Lamp was struck by the supernatural power and let out a mournful cry. Its precious light dimmed abruptly, but in a short while, it was completely refined by the Mirror Light, and the essence contained within it turned into a round bead.

The "Purifying Soul and Cleansing Heart Mirror" disliked the blood energy within the round bead and sent a thought to Gu Xu. Gu Xu reached out and beckoned, and the mirror returned to his sleeve.

"This thing is quite malevolent; it's best to purify it." Gu Xu stared at the round bead, his index and middle fingers joined together to form a sword, drawing crimson runes that covered the bead. As the runes became denser, the bead began to sway, but eventually calmed down.

"Qingyou's arrival at this time to cause trouble, could it be that he intends to make me leave? Does the Six Paths Demon Lord have some other plan?"

Gu Xu felt that something was off about this matter. His figure flashed and he reappeared at the Xuanxin Sect. However, as soon as he appeared, he sensed that something was wrong. Although most of the Xuanxin Sect disciples had been removed and left, the guards should still be there. But now, none of the guards were to be seen.

Just as he was deep in thought, the sky suddenly darkened, and the stars and the cold moon were already high in the sky.

Upon seeing this, Gu Xu's eyes narrowed slightly, and he finally understood who was behind this.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, in Honghe Village
Demon Lord Liudao led a group of elite troops from the Yinyue Dynasty on horseback and arrived here within three days.

"Your Majesty, we are about to reach Red River Village. The people of the Xuanxin Sect must have already laid an ambush. What should we do?"

As the Sage of Evil Dragons looked at Red River Village ahead from his horse, a strange tremor ran through his heart. He could think of no one else but the righteous ones who could cause such a reaction.

“Mirror Wuyuan, use your precious mirror to take a look and see what tricks the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect has up their sleeve.”

"Yes."

Jing Wuyuan responded, dismounted, and pulled a bronze mirror from his sleeve. With a burst of true energy, a golden light shone in front of him, and under the mirror's light, the various scenes of Honghe Village were reflected in everyone's eyes.

"So it was the Heavenly Gang Two Extremes Formation. The Xuanxin Sect really has a grand plan. They went all out for this one formation. If we hadn't known in advance, we would have suffered a great loss."

Within the mirrored light, a golden array spanning the entire Red River Village was clearly visible, its runes shimmering, its sword energy soaring into the sky, and its yin and yang energies flowing endlessly. At the very center were rows of tents, inside which were all the women in the village who were about to give birth.

At the same time, Zhuque, who was manipulating the formation, noticed something amiss, opened his eyes, and gave an order to the people around him. Then, the people of the Yinyue Dynasty saw the scene in the village become increasingly blurry, and finally it became a blank.

Sima Sanniang from the village looked at the four array flags with satisfaction and said smugly, "Although Jing Wuyuan is highly skilled in magic, I, Sima Sanniang, am not to be trifled with either. Chixia and Liudao have already arrived, and they must have seen the Heavenly Gang Two Extremes Array. Should we..."

"No need. The Heavenly Gang Two Extremes Formation was deliberately shown to them so they would think they had seen through our setup, which would make them lower their guard. Otherwise, they might not have dared to come in."

Seeing Sima San Niang's worried expression, Yan Chixia said in a deep voice, "Junior Brother Gu Xu's Spirit Dragon Ruyi is in Jin Guang's hands. Even if he doesn't get along with us, he's still on our side when it comes to matters of principle. This battle is dangerous, but it's not without a chance of winning."

"I hope so. As for Junior Brother Gu Xu, well..." Sima San Niang sighed. The grudges of the past were a muddled mess, so what was the use of talking about them now?

"With such distinguished guests at our door, we should treat them well."

Outside the village, Jing Wuyuan retrieved the treasure mirror and knelt down apologetically, saying, "Your Majesty, I am incompetent and failed to ascertain the true nature of the formation. The one who intervened must have been Sima Sanniang, for only she possesses such high attainments in magic."

Jing Wuyuan considered himself to be a master of magic, no less than Sima Sanniang. If it weren't for the protective array, it would be hard to say who would win between them.

"It seems this battle is no small matter. I, the Holy Lord, have some knowledge of the Heavenly Gang Two Extremes Formation. The key lies in its Yin and Yang energies. As long as the Yin and Yang formation eye is removed, the power of this formation will surely be reduced by seventy or eighty percent."

Liu Dao raised his hand to prevent Jing from getting up, and then began to talk about the flaws in the formation.

“Your Majesty, the person guarding this array must be of exceptionally high cultivation. Apart from Yan Chixia and his wife, the Four Generals of Xuanxin have their own duties and will certainly not guard this place. Therefore, it can only be the Seven Sons of Lingyun.”

"It's not impossible, but there's always an unexpected turn of events. Perhaps the people of the Xuanxin Sect have come up with another scheme. Evil Dragon, are the assassins of the Yinyue Dynasty ready?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, all forty-six elite warriors are ready. They will charge out as soon as Your Majesty gives the order."

These assassins of the Yin Yue Dynasty were all trained with secret medicines. Because their cultivation had taken an extreme path, coupled with the secret medicines, they were fine when they didn't fight, but once they did, their vital energy would surge, allowing them to unleash several times their power in a short period of time. They were an extremely important trump card for the Yin Yue Dynasty.

"Once we enter the village, we will have these assassins immediately kill everyone in the village and create chaos. The Xuanxin Sect has always prided itself on being the righteous path. If we stand by and watch them die, let's see what they do. Once the chaos starts, we will immediately release the Yin Thunder."

"Your subordinate obeys."

Liu Dao looked at the setting sun on the horizon and said in a deep voice, "Enter the village."

Upon hearing this, everyone followed behind.

"Sect Master, the people of the Yin Moon Dynasty have entered the Illusionary Realm and are now causing destruction. Oh no, it's Yin Thunder."

Zhuque's expression changed. The Yin Lightning was extremely vicious, as it was made by collecting various kinds of turbid energy and was extremely harmful to righteous things. Although the Spirit Dragon Ruyi was a magic weapon of Gu Xu, it was currently using golden light and its cultivation was insufficient, so it could not play a greater role. Judging from the current rate of destruction, it could only last for an hour at most.

"How long can the formation last?"

"Without external pressure, this can only last for an hour at most. If Liu Dao and the others notice something is wrong and join forces, the time will be even shorter."

“An hour is enough.” Yan Chixia’s expression turned serious. There are still two hours before the time for the birth of the Seven Incarnations’ Enemy Couple. With their previous arrangements, it is not difficult to delay them for two hours.

"Third Sister, pass on the message: when the formation is broken, immediately activate the sword formation and kill as many evil cultivators as possible."

"Xuanxin Four Generals, Jin Guang, heed my command, follow me into the Illusory Realm to slay the Six Paths Demon Lord and the Four Sages of the Demon Palace."

Yan Chixia issued two orders in quick succession. Sima Sanniang was about to say something when she heard this, but then she stopped herself. She was proficient in magic and formations, and with her in charge of the formation, she could minimize casualties.

"Take orders."

At this moment, the Six Paths Demon Lord, who had been in the illusionary realm for some time, finally realized something was wrong. After more than a dozen Yin Lightning bolts struck, nothing happened here. There was only one possibility: it was an illusionary array. However, within the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect, no one had ever been known to have such a high level of array formation cultivation.

"Your Majesty, this formation is extraordinary. It uses a superior magic artifact as its core. However, this formation is not without flaws. The person who controls the formation is not skilled enough, which is why the flaws have been exposed. Your Majesty, please take a look."

When Jing Wuyuan used the magic mirror, its light pierced through the void, leaving a black hole. Although it tried its best to mend it, it could never be restored to its original state.

Seeing this, Liu Dao nodded, his eyes sharpening. He reached out and drew his sword, Yi Xi, preparing to break the formation. Suddenly, he sensed a killing intent approaching. He dodged to the side, steadied himself, and looked at the newcomer, saying each word clearly: "Yan Chixia!"

(End of this chapter)