A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 266 Initial Display of Prestige
When Ni Qingfeng first clashed with the White-Headed Eagle, he intentionally held back some of his strength, but even so, it was enough to shock the White-Headed Eagle.

Feeling the pure and powerful true energy emanating from his palm, the white-headed eagle added three more points of strength, finally managing to fight Ni Qingfeng to a standstill. However, he knew that he had already lost. Ni Qingfeng looked to be only in his thirties, and had only been cultivating for a little over twenty years. When he became famous, this person probably hadn't even been born yet.

"This person is so powerful, if it weren't for the Dragon Balls, I really wouldn't want to provoke him."

White-headed Eagle has dominated the evil factions for decades. Besides his superb martial arts skills, he is also adept at recognizing the times. These two qualities are the foundation of his standing in the martial world. Under normal circumstances, he would have backed down when faced with difficulties. However, now that he has already made his tough statement, he has no choice but to give it a try for the sake of his own interests and reputation.

"Master Ni, your internal strength is truly profound. I admire you. However, the three of us have gathered here today, and we cannot continue like this. Otherwise, we will not be able to face our fellow martial artists. Master Ni, draw your weapon."

As he spoke, the white-headed eagle flipped his sleeve, and a three-foot-long five-fingered iron claw flew out. He gripped it tightly in his right hand, and with a flash of cold light, he attacked Ni Qingfeng. On the other side, the Living Yama and the Divine Fire Master exchanged a glance and also took out their weapons. One held the Judge's Deadly Pen, and the other held the Fire Pattern Mace. With a roar, they surrounded and attacked together.

Seeing this, Ni Qingfeng flipped his longsword, and a flash of cold light appeared, followed by the sound of metal clashing. Instantly, cold stars flew everywhere, and the atmosphere was chilling and murderous. The four fought together, and dust billowed and air waves surged, forcing the onlookers to retreat again.

"He forced three people to draw their weapons with just one move. This Ni Qingfeng is truly extraordinary. Hall Master, this person will inevitably become an obstacle in the future. Should we..."

Looking at Ni Qingfeng, who was displaying great power in the arena, Ri Sha suppressed his apprehension and spoke softly to Shangguan Yun.

"Wait a moment. I don't know much about this person's background. Besides, although he acts arrogantly, he doesn't seem like someone who leaves no way out. Before we figure out his background, we must not act rashly!"

Shangguan Yun is finding Ni Qingfeng increasingly unfathomable. First, there was the Shattering Palm, and then this sword technique he had never seen before. Shangguan Yun's fear of Ni Qingfeng has risen to another level.

Originally, apart from Xue Wanshan, who made him somewhat wary of the Tianshan Sect, it was only wary. With a little maneuvering, the Tianshan Sect would eventually become the Zhongxin Hall's prey. But now, with the addition of Ni Qingfeng as a variable, Shangguan Yun felt very depressed.

At this moment, Ni Qingfeng was using the Wudang Soft Cloud Sword Technique with all his might. The true meaning of this sword technique is to use endless force to neutralize the attack. Although the three White-headed Eagles had fierce attacks, they could not break through the tight sword light. Not only that, every time they collided with Ni Qingfeng's sword, they felt heavier on their bodies.

Ni Qingfeng deflected the Judge's Deadly Pen of the Living Yama with a single sword stroke, then flicked it to tear the Living Yama's sleeve. He then thrust his sword forward, aiming straight for the Living Yama's heart with a move that seemed to push the boat with the current. The opponent was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat, and it was too late for him to dodge. Seeing this, the White-Headed Eagle sensed something was wrong. It channeled its true energy into its iron claws and pounced on Ni Qingfeng's back with a whoosh, actually planning a diversionary tactic.

At the same time, upon seeing this, the Divine Fire Master's face turned cruel. The red light of the fire-patterned mace in his hand flashed, and with a deep shout, he leaped into the air, aiming straight for Ni Qingfeng's head. If this attack hit, his brains would splatter.

Upon seeing this, Fu Tianjiao and Fu Tianxiang's expressions changed, but they could not make a sound. In a battle between experts, there is no room for distraction. Perhaps their martial uncle was originally unharmed, but if they shouted, it could cause unpredictable consequences.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister. Martial Uncle's martial arts have greatly improved. These three are no match for him. Just watch."

Seeing the worried expressions on Fu Tianjiao and the other person's faces, Junior Brother Pei said softly, "We know our Uncle's abilities better than anyone else. When we were on our way, weren't the Five Fiends of Kongshan beheaded by our Uncle with a single sword strike? And the dozens of bandits entrenched in Tianshan were all killed by our Uncle's sword in just half an hour."

"Junior Brother Pei, what about Martial Uncle?"

Fu Tianjiao looked at her confident junior brother Pei and wondered where his confidence came from.

"Senior sister, the details are as follows..."

Fu Tianjiao was increasingly shocked as she listened. The Tianshan bandits were one thing, but the Five Fiends of Kongshan were all renowned evil masters who had been famous for over ten years. They were no less formidable than the three White-Headed Eagles in the arena. Yet, even these five had not lasted for half an hour. It was truly unimaginable just how far her martial arts had progressed.

"Uncle-Master will surely win this battle. The only thing we need to be careful about is the people from Zhongxin Hall. Senior Sister, you should be aware of this."

Upon hearing this, Fu Tianjiao glanced at Junior Brother Pei and nodded.

Just then, a cry of surprise suddenly came from the arena. Fu Tianjiao turned around and saw that her martial uncle had already severed the left arm of the Living Yama with a sword. The latter was now seriously injured and lying on the ground. Although he was not dead, he had lost his fighting ability.

Just now, when Ni Qingfeng stabbed the Living Yama in the chest, he suddenly changed his sword move. The long sword that was originally thrusting straight forward was twisted and flicked, directly sticking to the iron claw that was attacking. Then he struck at the Divine Fire Master. The latter was already on guard, but seeing this, he did not change his offensive and directly hit the iron claw with his mace.

However, the moment he encountered the iron claw, the pure Yang energy contained within it caused his blood and qi to surge. He had to roll over several times to dissipate the force of the backlash. But in doing so, he was far away from Ni Qingfeng. The white-headed eagle had suddenly lost its weapon and was unable to help the Living Yama for a while. The latter had only caught his breath for a moment when he was forced into a corner by Ni Qingfeng's fierce swordsmanship and finally withdrew from the battlefield at the cost of an arm.

"Master Ni, you are truly skilled. Since things have come to this point, we have no choice but to fight to the death."

White-headed Eagle took the iron claw from Divine Fire Master and looked at Ni Qingfeng with a gloomy face. The three of them working together couldn't even defeat Ni Qingfeng and even injured one of them. This was too shameful for them. If they retreated like this, this matter would soon spread throughout the martial arts world. Ni Qingfeng was using the three of them to improve his reputation.

"If Mr. White Hair and the Venerable Master are to leave now, I, Ni, will not make things difficult for them."

Upon hearing this, the white-headed eagle and the Divine Fire Master's expressions changed repeatedly.

"Master Ni, there's no point in saying more. Let's settle this with our skills."

With a deep shout, the white-headed eagle soared into the air, its sleeves slashing open to block out the sun, causing the light to dim instantly. At the same time, the Divine Fire Immortal shifted his figure, taking the opportunity to attack Ni Qingfeng from below.

Upon seeing this, Ni Qingfeng's eyes flashed with a fierce light. His longsword hummed, and a clear sword cry reached the ears of the crowd outside the arena. Then, the crowd saw a bright sword light flash in the dim light. After a moment, the white-headed eagle in the sky suddenly flew away into the distance and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Just as everyone was wondering, a scream drew their attention. They saw that the Divine Fire Master was pinned to the ground with a long sword, and it seemed he was doomed.

"What domineering swordsmanship! This is not the swordsmanship of the Tianshan Sect. I wonder where Ni Qingfeng learned it from."

Shangguan Yun's eyes narrowed. He had never seen the move that had just killed Shenhuo Shangren before. It was incredibly fast and powerful. If he had encountered it, he would have had no choice but to dodge. He was quite certain that this sword technique was not the Tianshan Sword Technique. If it was not a move created by Ni Qingfeng, then he must have obtained it by chance.

"Master!"

Seeing their leader nailed to death on the spot, the members of the Divine Fire Sect immediately drew their weapons and rushed forward, their eyes fixed on Ni Qingfeng. The latter, however, paid them no heed, glancing at them with disdain. This mere glance sent chills down the spines of the Divine Fire Sect disciples. He walked to the side of the Divine Fire Master, drew his sword with a backhand motion, drawing a trail of blood, and pointed a finger at Ni Qingfeng, weakly uttering a hateful murmur: "You…"

Before he could finish speaking, Master Shenhuo's head lolled to the side, and he died instantly.

"Master Ni, we have been defeated today. We shall meet again."

The heavily injured Living Yama broke free from his disciples' help and walked to Ni Qingfeng. He bowed to him and Ni Qingfeng nodded in response. The latter immediately breathed a sigh of relief, then bowed again, cleaned up the corpse of the Divine Fire Master, and quickly left with the evil sect members. Before long, only the Tianshan Sect and Zhongxin Hall forces remained in the arena.

"Brother Ni has displayed tremendous power. Today's battle will surely spread throughout the martial arts world soon. I would like to offer my congratulations to Brother Ni."

Shangguan Yun stepped forward and greeted Ni Qingfeng with a smile and a cupped-hand salute.

"I am grateful for your kindness, Master Shangguan. I did not want to cause trouble, but the situation has left me with no choice. If I do not kill them all, with the limited manpower of my sect, I am afraid we will not be able to leave Pansha Town today. I have not yet expressed my gratitude to Master Shangguan, so I thank you in advance."

Ni Qingfeng knew that if Shangguan Yun were to break off all pretense and act recklessly, today's events would likely escalate further. Fortunately, Shangguan Yun was quite shrewd and thoughtful, and he was wary of him, which was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

“Brother Ni, you are too kind. Sect Leader Xue and I are close friends and belong to the righteous path. As the leader of the martial arts alliance, I will naturally not allow those villains to take advantage of our vulnerability. Brother Ni, what are your sect’s plans next?”

Shangguan Yun glanced at the approaching Tianshan Sect disciples, then at the dragon pearl in Fu Tianjiao's hand. He couldn't help but sigh. He knew he couldn't get his hands on it for now; he would have to think about it later.

“It’s time to return to Tianshan. Tianjiao and the others have been away from the mountain for a long time, and the sect leader and senior brothers are very worried about them. Hall Master Shangguan is busy with his affairs, so we won’t bother him any longer. Hall Master Shangguan will definitely come to Tianshan for a gathering when he has some free time. I’m sure the sect leader will be very happy.” Ni Qingfeng bowed slightly to Shangguan Yun, then waved to the Tianshan disciples, who all stood aside, waiting for instructions.

"In that case, I wish Brother Ni a safe journey. I will definitely visit my friend in Tianshan another day. Farewell."

Shangguan Yun glanced at Ni Qingfeng, laughed loudly, then called out to the Sun and Moon Duo, and led the Zhongxin Hall disciples away on horseback.

"Uncle Master?"

"We shouldn't stay here any longer; let's leave immediately."

Upon hearing this, the Tianshan disciples immediately mounted their horses and galloped out of the town, quickly disappearing from sight.

As the banners of the Tianshan Sect receded into the distance, Ri Sha said to Shangguan Yun beside him, "Hall Master, the Tianshan Sect only has Ni Qingfeng as a troublesome opponent. As long as you can hold him off, with our strength, we will definitely be able to retrieve the Dragon Pearl."

“Brother, the hall master must have other plans in mind. Ni Qingfeng is not someone to be trifled with. If he keeps running away, I'm afraid no one can stop him. If he returns to Tianshan, this matter will become a big deal. Zhongxin Hall is at a critical moment of integration right now, and it is really not advisable to cause any more trouble.”

Shangguan Yuan gave Yue Sha an approving look and said calmly, "I am determined to get the Dragon Pearl. I'll leave it with the Tianshan Sect for a while, and then I'll make a decision when I have some free time. By the way, how is the Diancang Sect doing?"

"Reporting to the Hall Master, I received news before my departure that Daoist Baihe of the Diancang Sect has agreed to become the leader of the Zhongxin Hall."

"Very good. Now that the Diancang Sect has submitted, it should be Qiushui Manor next. Is there any news from Qiutangbai?"

"There is no news yet. I am keeping a close watch on him. I will report back immediately as soon as I have any news. Please rest assured, Master."

"Yes, Qiushui Manor is not easy to deal with. We need to proceed slowly. But before that, we must first get our hands on the dragon pearl from Tianshan Sect. Although I am currently unable to spare the time, I cannot let Tianshan Sect remain idle. We must spread the news that the dragon pearl has fallen into their hands."

"Yes!"

Meanwhile, the Tianshan Sect continued westward. Along the way, Fu Tianjiao recounted the events to Ni Qingfeng in detail. The latter, already aware of the situation, glanced at Cha Mulong and said in a deep voice, "Your origins need to be personally confirmed by the Sect Leader. You claim the Dragon Pearl belongs to you; what evidence do you have?"

Cha Mulong knew that the person next to him was extremely threatening. He immediately summoned his mind, and Fu Tianjiao's package suddenly lit up. The dragon pearl, as if attracted, obediently landed in Cha Mulong's hand, leaving the Tianshan disciples dumbfounded. They had only heard of the dragon pearl's magic before and thought it was an unclaimed object, but now it was clearly someone else's. Otherwise, how could they control the dragon pearl?

"Well, I believe you now. However, it makes no difference whether the Dragon Ball is in your hands or in the hands of the Tianshan Sect. The Tianshan Sect is likely to face many troubles in the future."

Ni Qingfeng shook his head and sighed. Upon hearing this, Fu Tianjiao's expression changed. She seemed to have thought of something, and her grip on her sword tightened suddenly. Could this be considered bringing trouble to the Tianshan Sect?

"Uncle-Master, it was Tianjiao's reckless actions that implicated our sect. She deserves to die."

Fu Tianjiao knelt before Ni Qingfeng. She had witnessed Shangguan Yun coveting the Dragon Pearl with her own eyes. If her uncle hadn't arrived in time, she and her junior sister would probably be two cold corpses by now.

Seeing Tianjiao like this, Chamulong felt a little guilty. He had only focused on retrieving the Dragon Pearl and had neglected her position.

"I take responsibility for my own actions. If those people want the Dragon Balls, they can come to me for them. I'm not afraid of them."

"You make it sound so easy. Since you joined the Tianshan Sect, nothing can be explained clearly anymore. In this martial arts world, as long as the interests are tempting, even the most reasonable arguments will be swallowed up. But don't worry, the Tianshan Sect is not to be manipulated by others. As long as we are of one mind, unless Zhongxin Hall disregards the greater good of the martial arts world, we will always have the upper hand in this matter."

Ni Qingfeng's words were not an exaggeration. Although the Tianshan Sect was not as strong as the Zhongxin Hall, it could easily deal with those small sects. Now that he had extinguished the arrogance of the evil sect, the Tianshan Sect was at the height of its power. Anyone who dared to come and act as the vanguard would be sent by him and never return.

"Uncle-Master, the sword technique you used to deal with the White-Headed Eagle just now didn't seem to be the Tianshan Sword Technique, but it was extremely exquisite. What kind of sword technique was it?"

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit heavy, Fu Tianxiang immediately changed the subject, looking at her fourth uncle with admiration in her eyes.

Today, my fourth uncle single-handedly forced back the White-Headed Eagle, severely injured the Living Yama, and killed the Divine Fire Master. This fourth uncle of mine, who never showed his true abilities, made such a grand move, which truly shocked me.

Not only Fu Tianxiang, but also Fu Tianjiao and the others looked over. The Fourth Uncle's sword technique was light and graceful, with hidden strength, and when he performed it, he was like a Taoist immortal, which made people yearn for it.

"That is the Soft Cloud Sword Technique, which I obtained by chance. If you want to learn it, your martial uncle can teach you. However, this sword technique is easy to learn but difficult to master. Without perseverance, you will only have a superficial understanding."

Upon hearing this, Fu Tianxiang immediately abandoned the idea. She had not yet fully mastered the Seven Absolute Swords of Tianshan. If she continued to practice this sword technique, she would only be biting off more than she could chew. It would be better to complete the Seven Absolute Swords of Tianshan before making any further plans.

"I'd better focus on mastering the sword techniques my master has taught me first."

The others shook their heads inwardly upon hearing this. They already had their own methods of cultivation, and suddenly practicing this exquisite swordsmanship might lead them astray, resulting in them not only failing to master the swordsmanship but also neglecting their original martial arts.

Seeing this, Ni Qingfeng nodded. Just as he was about to say something, his eyes suddenly sharpened, and he waved to the disciples behind him. The disciples immediately became more vigilant. At that moment, Ni Qingfeng's sleeves fluttered, and several beams of light shot towards the yellow sand ahead.

With a few hissing sounds, the gleaming light pierced directly into the yellow sand, and several screams immediately came from the ground. Upon seeing this, Fu Tianjiao and the others immediately drew their swords and looked around.

Not far away, yellow sand churned and moved toward them. Ni Qingfeng immediately drew his sword, leaped into the air, and swung it several times downwards. Several sword energies shot down, and the churning yellow sand stopped immediately. Then, Ni Qingfeng reached down and grabbed at the sand below. The sand surged, and three corpses were sucked up.

"Uncle-Master, they are from the Sand Rat Sect."

Junior Brother Pei dismounted and walked to the corpse. After examining it with his sword sheath, he noticed the weasel pattern on the sleeves of the men and knew their origins.

"The news travels so well. We've only been traveling for half a day, and someone has already delivered it to our door. It seems that the journey back to the mountain is destined to be anything but smooth. Let's continue on our way and tell the disciples to be careful."

Ni Qingfeng waved his hand, and the three corpses instantly sank into the yellow sand. He glanced at the distance, then rode ahead on horseback, and the Tianshan Sect group continued on their way.

Not long after the Tianshan Sect group left, the yellow sand surged and figures emerged from it. The leader was a short, stout old man dressed in a yellow robe, holding a crescent shovel in his hand. This man was none other than Sha Tiweng, the leader of the Sand Rat Sect.

"Such a sensitive sensor."

Shatieweng's expression was very solemn. Ni Qingfeng must have discovered him, but he didn't make a move. It wasn't that he couldn't do it, but that he didn't want to cause trouble. The three corpses were a warning.

"Sect Leader, should we continue the ambush?"

"Forget it, they've already given us a lot of face. If we go up there like this, we'll just be delivering food to them. Let Zhongxin Hall handle it themselves. Our Sand Rat Sect is a small sect; we can't afford to provoke this behemoth."

"With such a figure sent by the Tianshan Sect, the martial arts world is about to witness another spectacle. The Dragon Pearl is desirable, but one must be alive to retrieve it. Let's retreat!"

At Shati's command, the Sand Rat Clan disciples immediately disappeared into the yellow sand, vanishing without a trace in no time.

(End of this chapter)