A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 196 Time flies

Outside the Forest of Oblivion, inside the wooden house

Sima San Niang's hand holding Hongye trembled, her expression changed drastically, and she looked at Yan Chixia, saying, "Is it really the Netherworld Spring?"

Yan Chixia nodded and said, "There's no mistake, the Moye sword is there too, but it looks like it's starting to lose its power."

Upon hearing this, Sima Sanniang's expression turned serious, and she said in a deep voice, "So, the poisonous miasma that breaks out every now and then is because of Yin Shi You Quan and Chi Xia. We must tell the sect about this as soon as possible. Even if we can't seal it off immediately, we must be prepared for the worst."

“I have already used the image-recording bead to make a copy of the situation. I will go to the Xuanxin Sect tomorrow.”

"Yes, you can go without worry. There's no need to worry about me here. There's a protective formation here, so outsiders can't break in."

Sima Sanniang was confident in her own safety, but she was slightly worried about her husband's trip to Xuanxin Zhengzong. After all, they had voluntarily left the sect, and if they returned like this, they would surely be ridiculed by the disciples.

"This matter is of utmost importance, and personal reputation is a minor issue. Third Sister, there's no need to worry. Gu Xu and Junior Brother Jin Guang are capable of distinguishing between what's important and what's not."

Noticing that Sima San Niang's expression was unusual, Yan Chixia knew what was going on and immediately offered words of comfort.

The next day, Yan Chixia bid farewell to Sima Sanniang and rode the Dun Guang towards the Xuanxin Sect. After traveling for several days, Yan Chixia saw the outline of the capital city in his eyes, landed outside the city, and then quickly walked into the city.

But just as he stepped into the capital, a group of Xuanxin disciples blocked his way.

"Yan Chixia, the Xuanxin Sect has ordered that you are not allowed to set foot in the capital. Retreat immediately!"

The leading disciple spoke coldly, and the other disciples drew their swords, their blades gleaming coldly, pointing them at Yan Chixia. A murderous aura immediately enveloped him.

Yan Chi's face showed a slight bitterness upon hearing this. Then, amidst the puzzled looks of the crowd, he unfastened his sword and handed it over with both hands.

"Yan Chixia has come here today on important business. I would like to ask you all to do me the favor and let me see the Golden Light Sect Master."

Seeing this, the leading disciple immediately looked troubled. He dared not disobey the sect rules, but the other party had taken off his weapon. If he continued to press forward, it would be unreasonable for them to do so. Just as he was in a dilemma, a figure flew over and landed. The disciples hurriedly stepped forward and bowed.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Fuyun."

Fu Yunzi waved for them to leave, then approached Yan Chixia with a complicated expression and said in a deep voice, "Hero Yan, the sect leader requests your presence."

As he spoke, he waved for the disciples to make way. Fu Yun gestured and said, "Please." Yan Chixia was slightly taken aback, then sheathed his sword and followed Fu Yunzi to the Xuanxin Sect.

Just after the two left, a disciple said with slight dissatisfaction, "Yan Chixia has such a big face. He voluntarily withdrew from the sect, yet he still dares to act like this. It's truly despicable."

"Keep your voice down. The sect leader and the others will handle Yan Chixia's matter. We just need to do our own thing. Thinking too much will only make us tired."

The disciple who had spoken earlier was still somewhat indignant upon hearing this, but at least he calmed down a bit.

Fu Yunzi and Yan Chixia did not speak to each other along the way. Only after they arrived at an exquisite pavilion did Fu Yunzi say a word.

"Master Yan, the sect leader is inside, please."

After bowing to him, Fu Yunzi left with the four disciples guarding the pavilion. Yan Chixia looked at the plaque above the pavilion that read "Zhengxin Pavilion," took a deep breath, and slowly walked inside.

Ascending to the second floor, Yan Chixia sensed an aura that was both familiar and unfamiliar. With a thought, he looked at the golden light emanating from Yi Xi's golden robe, clasped his hands in a salute, and said solemnly, "Sect Master Jin Guang, greetings."

"Greetings, Master Yan. Please have a seat."

Jin Guang turned around and returned the greeting with a bow. His calm expression surprised Yan Chixia.

After the two were seated, Yan Chixia directly stated his purpose.

"The Netherworld Spring is located within the Forest of Oblivion. The Moye Sword, which suppresses the spring, has gradually lost its spiritual power. If it is not supported, it may soon trigger a catastrophe."

Upon hearing this, Jin Guang remained calm. After taking a sip of tea, he said in a low voice, "I already know about the matter of the Netherworld Spring. There should be no trouble for the next ten or twenty years. The Xuanxin Sect has too many things to deal with, so this matter can only be put aside for the time being. However, I still thank you, Hero Yan, for coming to inform me."

After a pause, Jin Guang looked at Yan Chixia's astonished expression, stood up and said, "If Hero Yan has nothing else to say, then you should leave the capital as soon as possible, since you are no longer a disciple of the Xuanxin Sect."

Yan Chixia felt a little relieved to hear that the matter of the Netherworld Spring was already known, but when he heard Jin Guang's cold words, he felt bitter. Originally, he had planned to use the information about the Netherworld Spring to exchange for a condition, but now it was all for naught. Not only did he not get any results, but he was also treated coldly by Jin Guang.

"I have heard that Master Yan's wife has given birth to a daughter. I will consider this jade pendant as my congratulatory gift. Master Yan, please take good care of yourself."

Jin Guang placed a white jade dragon pendant on the table, bowed again, and then turned and walked down from the pavilion.

Yan Chixia stared blankly as the golden light departed, his gaze wandering. He reached out and picked up the dragon pendant on the table. A thought struck him: this thing was clearly newly forged, and the fiery aura on it had not yet completely dissipated. After examining it for a moment, he already knew its wondrous uses.

"It seems that we will have to find another way to get Hongye back to the Xuanxin Sect."

Yan Chixia was slightly disappointed that he couldn't accomplish this task, but then he thought of a solution. The Xuanxin Sect was currently very busy. If he and his wife guarded the Yin World Spring for one or two decades, they would at least have put in the effort, even if they didn't achieve any merit. This would make it easier for Hongye to enter the Xuanxin Sect.

Jin Guang might not agree, but Junior Brother Gu Xu is the most easy to talk to. If he knew about this, he would definitely agree.

"I never imagined that one day I, Yan, would become one of the very people I used to hate the most. Ha."

Yan Chixia chuckled to himself, put away the dragon pendant, turned and went down from the pavilion. He walked without stopping until he reached the city gate. Just as he was about to transform into light and escape, he suddenly saw a familiar figure coming towards him.

"Master Yan, this is from Senior Uncle Gu Xu. He said you must accept it."

As he spoke, Fu Yunzi handed a Qiankun pouch to Yan Chixia, who took it and bowed respectfully towards the sect's location.

"Thank you, junior brother. I'll take my leave now."

"Take care on your journey, Master Yan."

Fu Yun bowed respectfully, watched the crimson light fly away, sighed inwardly, and with a flash, headed towards the sect.

Xuanxin Orthodox Sect, Underground Fire Cave

After months of forging, the Heavenly Demon Ore has become crystal clear. The next step is to melt it down and fuse it with the collected precious materials to form the shape of a magic weapon.

Looking at the demonic ore below, which showed no signs of melting, Gu Xu was not in a hurry at all. According to the Xuanxin Treasure Record, for the demonic ore to be completely melted, the Yang Lie Earth Fire alone was not enough. It also needed the Ice Forging Method, which used the power of Yin and Yang water and fire to repeatedly temper it before it could be successfully melted.

Thinking of this, a white light rose from Gu Xu's body, his aura condensing into frost. Wisps of frost wrapped around the Heavenly Demon Ore, and in a short while, it had solidified into a thick block of ice. At the same time, the Earth Yang Fire, under Gu Xu's command, rose into flames, enveloping the ore encased in the ice.

Gu Xu stared intently at the scene below. It took a full half hour for the demonic ore within the solid ice to show any signs of melting. Upon seeing this, Gu Xu reached out and pointed, sending a wisp of frost across the ice. The melting speed of the demonic ore immediately increased.

The earth's yang fire repeatedly calcined the material, melting away the excess frost and infusing it with intense yang energy. After multiple fusions, a state of equilibrium was finally achieved.

Within the solid ice, the demonic ore was surrounded and entangled by red and white energies, grinding back and forth, its size decreasing until it finally melted into a crystalline, mercury-like object that rolled back and forth.

Seeing this, Gu Xu threw the prepared materials into the water-like substance in order. The materials melted as soon as they entered the water-like substance, changing color from colorless to blue, and then back to colorless. Several months passed, and after nine refining processes, all the materials were integrated into the Heavenly Demon Ore. Now, the most crucial step has been reached: shaping.

When refining the magic weapon, Gu Xu had already decided on the type of magic weapon. There were many magic weapons in the Xuanxin Sect, but there were not many shuttle-type magic weapons. The few that existed were only for auxiliary purposes and none of them were for attack. Therefore, Gu Xu decided to refine a Demon-Slaying Shuttle, similar to the "Seven Absolute Black Shuttle of All Heavens Destroying Demons" in Shu Mountain.

With a flick of his wrist, the mercury-like substance slowly formed, under Gu Xu's control, into a shuttle about ten feet long, pointed at both ends and slightly bulging in the middle. Its color was black, and Gu Xu had inscribed runes on it. As soon as it took shape, an astonishing aura emanated from it, causing the restrictions in this area to freeze for a brief moment.

"It is indeed a treasure. It already has such a powerful aura even before it is fully formed. I wonder what kind of power it will have after it is nurtured."

Seeing the extraordinary aura of the divine shuttle, Gu Xu was overjoyed and continued to inscribe runes on it. As the runes he inscribed continued to disappear into the divine shuttle, its shape shrank continuously until it became the size of a palm.

The slight aura that was revealed when the Divine Shuttle was formed was quickly sensed by the golden light.

"What kind of treasure has Senior Brother refined that possesses such extraordinary power?" Jin Guang's eyes shone brightly, and he felt an inexplicable surge of excitement. He knew that once Senior Brother's treasure was unveiled, it would be earth-shattering, terrifying all demons. With Gu Xu around, he had a strong foundation to do anything.

"Fuyun, tell the people below that I was careless during my practice and my aura leaked out. Tell them not to worry."

Upon hearing this, Fu Yunzi immediately responded and suppressed his excitement. Although he did not know the reason, he was certain that it was for the benefit of the sect. A sense of pride arose in his heart, and he turned and left the main hall to spread the word.

At the same time, in the secluded cave of the Yin Moon Dynasty, the Moon Demon was practicing his Qi when he suddenly felt a tremor in his heart, as if something bad had happened.

The Moon Demon opened his eyes and tried to calculate with his fingers, but the secrets of heaven were in complete chaos and he couldn't figure them out at all. After several fruitless attempts, the Moon Demon gave up and muttered, "My sudden impulse just now was definitely not without reason. There must be a reason. The only possibility is that place is the Xuanxin Sect. Could it be Gu Xu?"

After a moment of further thought, Moon Demon became even more certain that the feeling of unease came from Gu Xu. Her heart sank slightly. Gu Xu was a threat to her, but she had no way to eliminate him in advance.

"The seven lifetimes of vengeful lovers are all in my hands. As long as I obtain this power, all problems can be solved. At that time, not only will Gu Xu be useless, but even if Ancestor Xuanxin were to be resurrected, it would be of no use."

The Moon Demon chuckled sinisterly a few times, then closed his eyes to rest and continued meditating and practicing his inner energy.

Time flows like water, ceaselessly, and in the blink of an eye, nineteen years have passed.

In the city of Jinhua, in an ordinary house, a handsome young man in a white shirt was reading by the window in the study when a knock came at the door.

“Caichen”.

"mother."

Upon hearing this, Ning Caichen put down his book, got up, and opened the door. A middle-aged woman with a weathered face walked in carrying a tray.

"You've been studying hard, so Mom made you some delicious food. Come and try it."

Ning Caichen hurriedly put the books away and placed them aside, while his mother placed several dishes on the table.

"Mom, you don't need to work so hard. These things take too much effort. Just make something simple."

When Ning Caichen saw the food, he knew that a lot of effort had been put into it. He looked at his mother with a reproachful tone, thinking that this was making him feel bad.

"As long as you study hard, it's all worth it for your mother, no matter how hard I have to work. Hurry up and start eating, the food won't taste good if it gets cold."

After finishing her speech, Ning's mother left the study and closed the door behind her.

Seeing this, Ning Caichen sighed inwardly and picked up his chopsticks to eat.

After the meal, Ning's mother cleaned up herself, not letting Ning Caichen do anything, and only letting him concentrate on his studies.

Ning Caichen had no choice but to continue reading. Just at noon, a familiar voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Auntie, is Caichen home?"

A handsome scholar with a sallow complexion came to the door and asked.

When Ning's mother opened the door, she saw it was Ning Caichen's classmate, Young Master Shen. She frowned slightly, as Young Master Shen's reputation wasn't very good. She was about to say that he wasn't home, but Ning Caichen came out first.

"Zichuan, what brings you here?" Ning Caichen asked in confusion. Why did Zichuan's face look so pale, as if he had been struck by lightning?

Shen Zichuan was the fourth son of Master Shen, a wealthy man in Jinhua City. Although he came from a rich family, he was approachable and had no airs. He was also a close friend of Ning Caichen and often helped Ning Caichen in his daily life.

When Ning's mother saw Ning Caichen come out, she didn't say much and turned back into the house.

"Caichen, come with me. This matter can't be left to you." When Shen Zichuan saw Ning Caichen, he looked at him as if he had seen a savior, and grabbed Ning Caichen's hand to go out.

Although Ning Caichen was puzzled, seeing Shen Zichuan's anxious look, he followed him out the door. Before leaving, he called out to the house, which was a way of telling Ning's mother where he was going.

Shen Zichuan pulled Ning Caichen into the carriage. After the carriage started moving, Ning Caichen asked, "Zichuan, what happened? Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Caichen, you must save me this time! It's all my fault for being so foolish as to make that bet. Now look what's happened, I've been entangled by those evil spirits. Caichen, I know you're no ordinary person, you must save me this time."

Shen Zichuan gripped Ning Caichen's hands tightly, his face showing fear.

Seeing his appearance, Ning Caichen asked him in detail and learned that Shen Zichuan had gone to Lanruo Temple in the suburbs alone late at night three days ago because of a bet.

Nalanruo Temple was burned down twenty years ago, leaving only a few remaining halls. Ning Caichen had heard that many people had died in the fire at this temple, so that the vengeful spirits lingered and it became a very famous ghost temple.

"Zichuan, why did you go to Lanruo Temple? That place is extremely eerie. Merchants and travelers passing through would never stay there. But you actually went there on your own initiative. What can I say about you?"

Shen Zichuan was filled with regret upon hearing this, but there's no going back. Now, perhaps only Ning Caichen can save him.

“Zichuan, I am but a scholar, how could I possibly have any magical powers to help you? Isn’t there a Taoist priest named Qingquan at the Baiquan Temple in the city? He has profound magical powers, wouldn’t it be better to let him help you?”

Shen Zichuan's expression turned quite strange upon hearing this. Seeing this, Ning Caichen's expression changed, and he said, "Could it be that even Daoist Qingquan has no solution?"

"After Master Qingquan entered the temple, he never came out again. His body was found yesterday and dumped in the suburbs. All the flesh and blood were gone, leaving only a skin." Shen Zichuan recalled with a look of horror in his eyes, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"Caichen, I know you have something special about you, you can definitely help me, Caichen, I'm begging you, okay?"

Ning Caichen frowned slightly upon hearing this. There were mysterious things about him that no one else knew except himself. Later, it was because of a strange incident that Shen Zichuan saw it by chance.

Later, Shen Zichuan spared no effort to befriend Ning Caichen and secretly helped him a lot. It was because of this that Ning Caichen, an ordinary farmer's son, was able to enter the famous "Wenze Academy" in the city.

Although Shen Zichuan was somewhat opportunistic, he was very good at handling people and affairs. Ning Caichen always remembered this kindness. Now that he saw his friend suffering, Ning Caichen thought it over and agreed after much consideration.

"Zichuan, I'm not entirely confident about this matter either. Don't have too high hopes. It's best to invite a highly skilled expert as soon as possible."

"Yes, yes, my father has already sent someone to Xuanxin Temple in Lincheng to invite them, but they won't be back for a while. Caichen, I'll leave the rest of the time to you."

Shen Zichuan nodded repeatedly, feeling relieved. He slowly released his grip, having great faith in Ning Caichen's abilities. The vicious demon from back then was killed by Ning Caichen with a single red light, and this evil spirit was even less formidable.

The two rode in a carriage, and after a short while, the carriage stopped in front of a manor with red walls and green tiles.

"Young master, we're home."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zichuan lifted the curtain and got out of the car first. Ning Caichen followed Shen Zichuan and had just entered the gate when he sensed a faint, eerie aura. The further they went in, the stronger it became. When Shen Zichuan arrived at his room, Ning Caichen's face turned solemn.

"Caichen, what's wrong?"

Seeing his friend's expression, Shen Zichuan felt a pang of anxiety and quickly stood beside Ning Caichen.

"Zichuan, where did this porcelain vase come from?" Ning Caichen pointed to a shiny black porcelain vase with two handles on the antique shelf.

"Oh, I bought this from Jiguxuan. They say it's a famous piece of black porcelain from the previous dynasty. I thought it looked nice, so I bought it. It cost me a full one hundred taels of silver, but the piece is indeed quite good..."

At this point, Shen Zichuan suddenly stopped speaking, a cold sweat breaking out on his body. He turned to look at Ning Caichen, his eyes filled with terror, his voice trembling as he said, "Caichen, you suspect that this porcelain vase is..."

"There's something wrong with this porcelain vase!"

Ning Caichen didn't know why he had this feeling, but as soon as he entered, he felt that the black porcelain was out of place, as if it shouldn't be here. Moreover, when he reached out to touch it, a chilling sensation came from his fingertips. This thing was really strange.

(End of this chapter)