A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 245 Deploy troops and generals
Inside the Xuanxin Hall, a light screen appeared before everyone's eyes. Master Muyang of Yunsong Temple looked at the retreating Yinyue Dynasty, flicked his whisk, and said to the golden light, "This Demon Lord is not a brainless person. Now that they have retreated, they probably won't give up so easily if they come back again."

Upon hearing this, Jin Guang said in a deep voice, "We'll meet force with force and water with earth. If the Demon Lord doesn't come, fine. But if he goes all in, I'll make sure he never returns!"

The leader of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, Fang Kong, raised an eyebrow and spoke with murderous intent, “In the Yin Moon Dynasty, apart from Qi Ye, only the Three Sages and Lie Mingzi are worth mentioning. The rest are all no match for us. We have an overwhelming advantage. This time, we must eliminate them completely and leave no future troubles!”

Although the Ten Thousand Swords Sect is a newly emerging sect in the last hundred years, it has clashed and fought with the Yin Moon Dynasty quite a bit. In particular, eighty years ago, the Six Paths Demon Lord led his followers to kill Fang Kong's grandmaster and a group of elites, which greatly reduced its strength, causing it to fall from the third-ranked righteous sect to the very bottom. The hatred between them could not be fully explained even after three days and three nights.

Fang Kong brought almost 70% of his sect's elite troops with him to help, all for the sake of revenge.

"Sect Master Fang is absolutely right. The Yin Yue Dynasty has acted perversely, incurring the wrath of Heaven and the resentment of the people. It is only right that it should suffer this calamity. Although our Qianji Pavilion is small and weak, everyone in the sect is full of passion and willing to contribute to the righteous path of the world. With Sect Master Jin Guang leading all the sects, we will surely be able to sweep away these demons and monsters and restore peace to the world."

Yuan Ming, the head of Qianji Pavilion, took over the conversation and immediately stated his position. His righteous and awe-inspiring appearance made Gu Wenshao, the head of Tianhai Sect, and Duan Jing, the master of Cangzhen Mountain, feel extremely disgusted.

“This Yuan Ming is quite flexible. Seeing that Miaoyunque was declining, he immediately switched to Xuanxin Orthodox Sect. Although it is understandable, his attitude was too humble.”

The two glanced discreetly at Tianyun Zhenren, who was in the first position on the left. He had his eyes closed and seemed completely unconcerned. They exchanged a look and then fell silent.

“Sect Master Yuan is very kind. The hundreds of puppets your sect has provided are very useful. With them, we can reduce unnecessary losses.”

Jin Guang didn't care about Yuan Ming's flattery. As long as the other party didn't hold him back and could get things done seriously, everything else could be put aside for the time being.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming couldn't help but show joy. He knew that his strength was weak, and he could be said to be the weakest among everyone present. However, he had various combat puppets and auxiliary puppets at his disposal, which was enough to make up for the gap.

"Did you all clearly see the origin of the black mist that was released seven nights ago?"

Upon hearing Jin Guang's words, Master Tianyun, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and said slowly, "This mist steals away spiritual energy, turning the spiritual into the gloomy. It is very similar to the mist of the Black Mountain Demon, but this thing also has a sense of annihilation and destruction, and a burning and refining effect on the soul. I am not quite sure about it."

Upon hearing Master Tianyun's words, everyone frowned. The mist was indeed quite powerful, but as long as they were on guard, it would be difficult to harm them. However, if they used the previous methods to defend against this mutated mist, it would be a grave mistake, and they might even lose their lives.

"It is said that there is a Soul-Burning Pool in the Yin Moon Dynasty. This item was likely refined in the Soul-Burning Pool. The Soul-Burning Pool contains Soul-Refining Netherfire, which can damage the soul and physical body. It is not to be underestimated. However, this fire has a flaw."

Upon hearing this, Master Muyang's expression turned serious, and he immediately looked at Jin Guang and asked, "I wonder what flaw Sect Master Jin Guang is referring to?"

Master Muyang is skilled in fire-based techniques, but he cultivates the pure Yang Fire Profound Technique, which is righteous in nature. However, the Nether Fire is evil and completely opposite to what he cultivates. If he encounters the misty fog on the battlefield, he will be more vulnerable to attack than others due to the nature of his technique.

Upon hearing this, the others straightened their posture and waited for Jin Guang to continue.

"The Soul Refining Netherfire is a top-grade Yin fire, but Yin gives rise to Yang. Since this mist has been refined by this fire, it must have been tainted by some of its mysteries. If one were to inject a trace of extremely Yin energy into it when facing this thing, it would surely be able to reverse Yin and Yang."

Upon hearing this, everyone seemed to be deep in thought. Master Muyang pondered for a long time before smiling bitterly and saying, "I do possess a few strands of extreme Yang energy, but I have no chance to see extreme Yin energy."

Not only Mu Yang Zhenren, but also Tian Yun Zhenren and the other three did not possess such a precious item, since this item could be directly absorbed and refined, which was enough to increase their cultivation.

Seeing this, Jin Guang nodded and then said, "You have come from afar to help our sect fight against the demons. These five talismans are a token of our gratitude. They contain three strands of extremely yin energy. Please keep them safe."

As he spoke, Jin Guang pointed his finger, and a flash of light appeared in the sky above the hall. Five golden talismans floated down and landed in front of the five people.

Looking at the golden talisman before him, Master Muyang sensed the three pure, extremely Yin essences within it and couldn't help but gasp.

For an ordinary person, obtaining even a single strand of this golden light would be an immense stroke of luck. Yet this golden light produced fifteen strands in one go—truly a grand gesture. Overjoyed, he felt even greater respect for the Xuanxin Sect.

Upon seeing the golden talisman, Master Tianyun's eyes narrowed slightly, but he quickly composed himself, put the talisman away without hesitation, and solemnly bowed to the golden light above him before saying nothing more.

After their initial astonishment, the others quickly bowed in greeting. Jin Guang then made a gesture of pressing down, and the group began discussing their next move.

"Now there is a Yin-Yang Refining God Formation at the city gate. If the Demon Lord wants to pass through here, unless he takes action himself, he will have to lose at least some of his men. At least three formations can be set up from the city gate to the Imperial Dragon Street."

Yuan Ming, the master of Qianji Pavilion, took out a light map and waved his hand. A miniature version of the capital city appeared in the main hall. He pointed to the main road of the capital city and saw a small magic array standing guard. Behind it were two other magic arrays with completely different designs. The three magic arrays echoed each other, and the power of the arrays increased as you went further back.

Yuan Ming took out a black strip from his sleeve and pointed it at the first magic array. The magic array was activated suddenly, and half of the army representing the Yin Moon Dynasty was immediately captured. As the opposing side continued to add more troops, the first magic array could no longer hold on and shattered with a crash.

However, the dissipated earth energy was absorbed by the puppets below the formation, and then, through a special ritual, the earth energy was filled into the second formation, doubling its power.

Moments later, all three magic arrays were destroyed, but the Yin Yue Dynasty army also suffered more than half its losses.

"If we follow Pavilion Master Yuan's calculations, the Yin Yue Dynasty has lost more than half of its troops, which undoubtedly increases our advantage. However, the situation on the battlefield is constantly changing and cannot be taken as gospel."

Ultimately, this formation is somewhat rigid. After all, they cannot truly understand the other side's plans, and if they misjudge, it could cause a shift in the battle situation, or even affect the entire battle.

“Master Tianyun is right. Qiye has always been unpredictable, especially at such an important moment. He will definitely not follow the path we have laid out for him.”

After a moment of contemplation, Duan Jing, the master of Cangzhen Mountain, said, "Then let Qi Ye follow the path we have laid out."

Upon hearing this, Gu Wenshao, the leader of the Tianhai Sect, gleamed with a sharp light in his eyes and clapped his hands, saying, "That's wonderful, but only a true master could achieve this."

Gu Wenshao turned to look at Master Tianyun, and Duan Jing and the others also looked at Master Tianyun at the same time.

"I can use the Cloud Gathering Banner to perform the Hundred Twists and Turns Technique, but if I do, I will be unable to assist you for an hour." True Man Tianyun was not lying. The Hundred Twists and Turns Technique is an extremely sophisticated technique for severing space and dividing boundaries. It can separate a group of people into two groups. If one does not understand the secrets of this technique, one will get lost in it. Unless the person who casts the technique withdraws it, one will never be able to get out.

Duan Jing and Gu Wenshao exchanged a glance. They hadn't expected this technique to have such requirements. Tianyun Zhenren was one of their main combat forces, and it seemed that using this divine power alone would be a waste of their resources.

Everyone remained silent, pondering the gains and losses involved. Just then, Jin Guang, who was at the head of the table, said, "Master Tianyun, I'll have to trouble you with this matter. As long as you can separate Qi Ye and the others and lead them into the prepared traps, it will be a great achievement. You can hold out for as long as you can."

Upon hearing this, Master Tianyun immediately responded and came down.

Jin Guang made the decision immediately, and everyone stopped talking. Perhaps the Xuanxin Sect had some backup plan. After all, with that person around, at least they wouldn't lose.

While Jin Guang and the others were discussing, Qi Ye and his group were also discussing how to enter the capital quickly and efficiently in a green mountain a hundred miles away from the capital.

"Tomorrow is the fifteenth of the first lunar month. The Heavenly Demon will clash with the Seven Fiends at the third quarter of the hour of midnight. We must not miss this time, otherwise, the Holy Dynasty will be destroyed today!"

Qi Ye's resounding words caused the three sages, Lie Mingzi, and Bi Qing to straighten their expressions.

"In our first encounter today, the formation set up by the Xuanxin Sect seemed weak and vulnerable, but in reality, there is more to it than meets the eye. Look," Qi Ye swept his sleeve, and a screen of light appeared in front of everyone, revealing the formation they had seen today.

The dragon and the demons couldn't see anything strange about it. The formation was unremarkable. If they hadn't seen it today, they would have found it hard to imagine that it had such power. After examining it carefully, and considering what he had seen before, Shura suddenly had a guess in his mind.

"Holy Lord, is this the Yin-Yang Refining Spirit Formation?"

Shura's uncertain words startled the dragon and the demon, who then both denied it.

"Shura, we've seen the Two Elements Refining God Formation before. It uses the flow of Yin and Yang and the spiritual energy of the four directions, making it extremely powerful. Apart from both having the ability to devour fortune, this formation is completely different from the Two Elements Refining God Formation."

Upon hearing this, Lie Mingzi and Bi Qing frowned. After looking at it several times, they exchanged a glance, both of them filled with shock.

"Gentlemen, is there anything strange about this formation?" Qi Ye asked, turning around as he looked at Lie Mingzi and Bi Qing, who seemed to be deep in thought.

When the evil dragon and the evil spirit saw that the Holy Lord had not denied the Asura's statement, their hearts sank. Could it be that the Yin-Yang Refining God Formation had failed? The two of them turned their gazes to Lie Mingzi and Bi Qing at the same time.

"It wouldn't be wrong to call this formation the Yin-Yang Refining Spirit Formation. To be precise, it should be a simplification of this formation, eliminating all offensive power and converting it all into defense, thus increasing its defensive capabilities several times over. If it weren't for the Holy Monarch's unpredictable and domineering mist, it would be difficult to break through this formation without losing manpower."

Although Lie Mingzi was not skilled in the art of formations, the Nine Yang Heavenly Flame Diagram he possessed was somewhat imbued with the mysteries of formations. At this moment, with his mind focused on looking from above, he quickly noticed the anomaly.

Upon hearing this, Qi Ye nodded, looked at the three evil dragons, and said in a deep voice, "Besides Gu Xu, I really can't think of anyone else who could modify the Yin-Yang Refining God Formation to such an extent. You must be careful when you encounter this formation again."

"If the situation is so dire outside the capital, the dangers inside the city are even greater. The slightest mistake could result in annihilation."

The three evil dragons tensed up. Lie Mingzi suddenly spoke up, "Holy Lord, should we change our plan? Should we concentrate our power to break through all obstacles, so as not to disperse our power and give the enemy the opportunity to defeat us one by one?"

"Ah."

After pondering for a moment, Qi Ye suddenly had a flash of inspiration. The Xuanxin Orthodox Sect would definitely not want his side to rush in all at once. Their most likely approach would be to scatter his forces. However, this suited his wishes perfectly, so he decided to turn the tables on them.

"The Xuanxin Sect is focusing its efforts on dealing with me, the Holy Lord. They will definitely separate me from you. Therefore, once I am not here, we will proceed with the previous plan: disperse and attack. Half an hour later, when the moon rises, we will immediately release the Demon Spirit and the Ghost Soul to disrupt the battle."

"Taking this opportunity, Senior Biqing, you release the Nine Nether Weak Water, mainly targeting those high-level combatants, especially the Four Generals of Xuanxin. Once these four are eliminated, at least one of Jin Guang's arms can be severed. Senior Lie Ming will coordinate with Senior Biqing to release the Nether Yang Heavenly Fire. This Holy Monarch will take the initiative and catch them off guard."

The three sages and the others accepted the order. After discussing it for a while, they dispersed.

After everyone left, Qi Ye took out the green snail and continuously refined it with his magic power. In less than an hour, the green snail was completely refined. A layer of green light rippled on its surface. Qi Ye then devoted a wisp of his heart's blood to it. The green light flashed several times, and the green snail instantly turned into a green light shield, no bigger than a fist.

At dawn the next day, when the yin energy was at its strongest, the Xuanxin Hall was filled with shimmering pearl light, as bright as day. Everyone stared intently at the light screen in the center of the hall.

"coming!"

As soon as Jin Guang finished speaking, a cloud of black, malevolent mist rolled in from a hundred miles away from the capital city, hanging down from the sky and obscuring the light. The mournful howls and eerie ghost cries were clearly audible. Thick, dark winds rushed towards the capital city, making it seem like a dark hell.

"What a big battle!"

Fang Kong snorted coldly. He didn't recognize the other things, but he was very familiar with the dark gale. It was the "Formless Annihilation Gale" recorded in the sect. This wind was extremely powerful. Once trapped by it, even if you had a magic weapon to protect you, you would eventually have your physical body worn away and your soul destroyed by this wind.

Seeing this, Jin Guang didn't care at all. He pointed his finger, and a golden ray shot out of the hall. Soon, a thin golden net rose in the sky above the capital, spreading out and covering the entire city.

At the same time, a jade tablet appeared in each of the four directions of the capital, engraved with the four sacred beasts. The beast shadows floated, and the four beast phantoms immediately took their seats in the four directions. The Azure Dragon roared, the White Tiger howled, the Vermilion Bird cried, and the Black Tortoise roared. A terrifying aura immediately suppressed the arrogance of the Yin Moon Dynasty.

Just as the Four Spirits Protecting the Heaven Formation was formed, the Formless Annihilation Gale immediately collided with it. A shocking explosion was heard, and the Formless Annihilation Gale dissipated on the spot, while the Four Spirits Protecting the Heaven Formation remained unharmed.

Seeing this, Qi Ye was not surprised at all, and calmly ordered, "Impermanent Mist".

The evil dragon reached out and took the jade bottle, then went down to the front of the formation. With a burst of magic, it released the Impermanent Mist. As soon as it was released, it was swept away by a gale and quickly covered the golden talisman wall with the help of dark clouds and ghostly energy.

(End of this chapter)