A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 270 First, wipe out one sect

Shen Henian's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but he quickly composed himself. He stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and nodded, saying, "Sect Leader Brother wants to make an example of someone. Hmm, the Nine Immortals Sect is indeed a good choice. Without further ado, Third Junior Sister, Fourth Junior Brother, after we've packed up, we'll go down the mountain immediately and finish this quickly."

Li Dengping glanced at his senior brother, the sect leader, and immediately agreed to come down. Ni Qingfeng said, "Second senior brother, I have something to discuss with the sect leader. We'll meet at the foot of the mountain later."

Shen Henian glanced at Ni Qingfeng, nodded, then bowed to Xue Wanshan before walking out of the main hall with Li Dengping.

"Junior brother, what is it?"

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, I have managed to refine the Heavenly Heart Pill by chance. There are eighteen of them here. Please check them."

Ni Qingfeng took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve and handed it to Xue Wanshan. Upon hearing that the Heavenly Heart Pill had been successfully made, the latter's expression changed drastically. He gave Ni Qingfeng a deep look, took the porcelain bottle, poured out a pill, and carefully examined it. Xue Wanshan immediately smiled broadly. This was indeed the Heavenly Heart Pill. Although its medicinal power was insufficient, it was more than enough to increase cultivation by three to five years. He hadn't expected that his fourth junior brother had actually succeeded.

"Junior brother, you have done a great service. With these eighteen Heavenly Heart Pills, if used properly, they are enough to train dozens of elite disciples for the Tianshan Sect."

Xue Wanshan was filled with emotion. Although he still had three Heavenly Heart Pills passed down from his ancestors, they were the last reserves of the Tianshan Sect. He would not easily take them out unless absolutely necessary. He had originally planned to take out one pill and dissolve it to build a solid foundation for his disciples, but the Enforcement Elder and his second junior brother rejected the idea, so he gave up.

"There is another matter I need to report to the sect leader. When I came over just now, I found that Tianjiao and the others were practicing the sword formation. The power was mediocre and there were many flaws. After thinking about it, I believe that the seven of them are not connected by their qi channels and cannot communicate with each other, which caused this strange situation."

"Yes, Junior Brother is right. There is nothing wrong with the sword formation itself. It's just that the seven of them can't concentrate their power in one place. I tried to harmonize it before, but it only made things more chaotic. It was not as good as they were in the beginning, so I gave up. I can only let them practice diligently and try to master it. Junior Brother, you mentioned this matter today. Do you have some idea?"

"The Heavenly Heart Pill is the best solution. Let the seven girls drink the pill and then practice the sect's refining technique together. Within this month, their qi meridians can be temporarily connected. As long as we get rid of those martial arts people, this price is bearable. I just wonder what the sect leader thinks?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Wanshan frowned, pondered for a moment, looked at Ni Qingfeng, and said in a deep voice, "This matter is entirely beneficial. Even after the effects of the medicine wear off, it will still bring considerable benefits to Tianjiao and the others. However, in this way, at least three Heavenly Heart Pills will be lost."

"The reason we refined the Heavenly Heart Pill is just in case. If we don't use it now, when will we? When the Heavenly Mountain Sect becomes stronger, are you worried that we won't have the materials to refine a better Heavenly Heart Pill?"

Seeing Ni Qingfeng's spirited demeanor and hearing his bold and soaring words, Xue Wanshan's long-suppressed heart was stirred. Since taking over as sect leader, he had only managed to protect the small territory in front of him, and could not be said to have carried forward or glorified it. Now that he had a junior brother, he might as well raise the reputation of the sect. Even if he were to ascend to immortality in the future, he would have the face to meet his elders.

"Yes, I was a little hesitant. Well, it's better to do this sooner rather than later. I'll have Tianjiao and the others come over later."

Upon hearing this, Ni Qingfeng cupped his hands in greeting to Xue Wanshan, saying, "If Senior Brother has no further instructions, I will take my leave now."

Go ahead, and be careful.

Ni Qingfeng nodded, left the main hall, returned to his residence, took his longsword and bundle, and went straight down the mountain. At the foot of the mountain, Shen Henian and Li Dengping had been waiting for a while. When they saw Ni Qingfeng finally appear, they did not delay any longer. The three of them mounted their horses and headed east.

Just as Ni Qingfeng and his two companions set off, the Nine Immortals Sect was on its way to Tianshan. Because the Nine Immortals Sect was located on the western border, and was entrusted by the Zhongxin Hall, it took the lead. The various sects agreed to meet at Huangqiu Ridge, and the Nine Immortals Sect went ahead to make some preparations in Huangqiu Ridge.

On the desolate sand dunes, the wind blew dust, flags fluttered, and under the blazing sun, an inn covering several acres came into view. This inn was originally a post station, but was later transformed by the Nine Immortals Sect. Traveling merchants who could not find a place to rest would stay here. However, the room fee was not free; it cost five taels of silver per person.

Inside the inn’s lobby, seven people dressed identically sat around a wooden table in the center. Among them was a man of striking appearance with black hair and a short beard, dressed in a blue robe, with an ancient pine-patterned sword in front of him. This man was Song Ruofeng, the leader of the Nine Immortals Sect.

"Junior Brother Bai, are the Tang Clan people arriving soon?"

The first person on the left, dressed in a blue robe, immediately replied, "Tang En, the third elder of the Tang Clan, and Tang De, the fourth elder, have led their thirty disciples to Gusha Town. They will arrive here in three days. The other sects are still on their way, but they will definitely arrive here within seven days."

Upon hearing this, Song Ruofeng nodded. He originally did not want to make things difficult for the Tianshan Sect, but since the sect had obtained the Dragon Pearl and killed his two junior brothers, he could not let this grudge go unavenged. Moreover, the Zhongxin Hall had given them a lot of benefits, so it was worth it for them to go all out this time.

"Junior Brother Liu and Junior Brother Tao both lost their lives at the hands of the Tianshan Sect. This time, avenging them is one goal, and the other is to retrieve the Dragon Pearl and bring glory to our sect. Fellow disciples, please work together to help me!"

"We shall obey the Sect Leader's wishes!"

Upon hearing this, the six people seated hurriedly stood up and replied loudly.

"Sit down first. Xue Wanshan of the Tianshan Sect is not easy to deal with, but as soon as the Tang Clan arrives, we'll try to be polite first and then use force. If they don't comply, we'll have the Tang Clan poison them. Junior Sister Mei, are you confident?"

Song Ruofeng turned his gaze to the last seat, where a charming woman with a captivating expression and thin clothing stood out.

"Don't worry, Sect Leader. Tang En and Tang De are both ambitious but incompetent, lustful and impatient. Apart from their poison skills, which are somewhat impressive, they are mediocre. As long as I use my charm, I can make them submit to me."

Mei Yuewu smiled charmingly, looking as if she had everything under control, which made the people present feel their blood boil and they hurriedly circulated their inner energy to avoid making a fool of themselves on the spot.

"That's good."

Song Ruofeng seemed completely unaffected. At this moment, Junior Brother Bai cautiously reminded him, "Senior Brother, Ni Qingfeng of the Tianshan Sect is also not easy to deal with. We should also treat him with caution. He killed Shenhuo Shangren and severely injured the Living Yama. His skills are even better than those of a sect leader. Senior Brother, do you have a way to deal with him?"

“I was prepared for this. Ni Qingfeng is indeed powerful, but can he compare to this thing?”

Song Ruofeng smiled confidently, took out an exquisite wooden box from the package beside him, and placed it on the table. As soon as it was opened, everyone smelled a pungent odor. When Junior Brother Bai saw the dark, slightly purple object, he was immediately startled, but then his face lit up with joy.

"Thunderbolt Fireball!"

Upon hearing this, the others all stood up and looked at the thing.

"That's right, and it's the most precious Purple Lightning Thunderbolt among the Thunderfire Bombs. Just one of these is enough to severely injure a top-tier expert. There are nine of them here. If they are released all at once, even if Ni Qingfeng is incredibly powerful, he will be blown to pieces!"

Song Ruofeng put away the Thunderclap Bomb, glanced at everyone, and said, "This can only be used in times of crisis. The Thunderclap Hall is not afraid, but our Nine Immortals Sect will definitely become the target of everyone's attacks. In order to win over the hearts of the people, that Alliance Leader Shangguan might sacrifice a pawn to save the king."

"What Senior Brother says makes sense. Shangguan Yun is currently busy consolidating the territory of the three Diancang sects. He is pushing us out here. You junior brothers and sisters should know what he is up to. However, although this matter is very dangerous, if we successfully obtain the Dragon Pearl, our Nine Immortals Sect will no longer have to look after the Zhongxin Hall. The world is vast, and we can roam freely!"

Song Ruofeng's heroic words truly inspired everyone present, and they now wished they could immediately storm Mount Tian and obtain the Dragon Ball.

"Junior Brother Bai, we must maintain vigilance around the area. This place is neither too close nor too far from the Tianshan Sect. We've come here in such a grand manner that the Tianshan Sect has probably already received word. Be careful of a sneak attack."

Upon hearing this, Junior Brother Bai was slightly taken aback, and then said uncertainly, "Senior Brother, the Tianshan Sect is a prestigious and righteous sect. They shouldn't resort to sneak attacks, right?"

"What do you know? Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The Dragon Ball has a huge impact now. As the ones who stick their necks out, it would be unreasonable for the Tianshan Sect not to give us a heads-up. Tell the disciples to be careful."

"Yes, senior brother."

After giving a few more instructions, Song Ruofeng dismissed everyone. In the hazy moonlight, Song Ruofeng, who was fast asleep in his room, suddenly woke up. Looking at the bright moonlight outside the window and the silent inn, he had a very bad feeling. Song Ruofeng carefully dressed, took his sword in his hand, picked up a lit candlestick, and pushed open the door.

The inn was brightly lit. Song Ruofeng looked down and saw several disciples sitting upright in the hall. He felt a sense of relief and woke them one by one. Song Ruofeng said in a deep voice, "I have been feeling uneasy. I'm afraid something might happen. You should all be careful."

If it were someone else speaking, Junior Brother Bai would definitely scoff and not take it seriously. However, his senior brother's mental perception was extremely accurate. He had sensed several dangers before they came, which is why their Nine Immortals Sect was able to gradually grow stronger and safely resolve several crises.

"They're all awake now, Senior Brother. Let's sit in the hall for a while. If there's nothing else, we can rest later. Although those disciples are only so-so in martial arts, they're quite good at keeping watch at night."

Mei Yuewu, Gui Congfang, and the other three had no objections. The seven of them went down the stairs. After the night watchman greeted them, he was dismissed by Junior Brother Bai, who then had several pots of tea and some snacks served as a midnight snack.

Several candles were replaced, but the inexplicable feeling in Song Ruofeng's heart still lingered. Just as Junior Brother Bai refilled the pot of tea, he suddenly had a thought. He glanced outside the inn and then at Song Ruofeng. The latter's eyes narrowed slightly, and he nodded to him, slowly grasping the pine-patterned longsword beside him with his right hand.

Upon seeing their sect leader in this state, the others were all dispelled from their weariness and took up their weapons, becoming fully alert.

Silence reigned outside the window. After a while, no message came from the disciples guarding outside. Song Ruofeng slowly stood up, drew his sword, and called out loudly, "Since you have all arrived, please show yourselves. I, Song, await your arrival!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Junior Brother Bai and the others drew their weapons and stood behind Song Ruofeng. A group of disciples also formed a circle around the city, staring intently at the outside. Just as the candlelight flickered, a sharp light shot in from outside the door. Song Ruofeng's eyes sharpened, and he swung his sword. With a clang, the light struck a wooden pillar. Junior Brother Bai looked over and saw that it was a white iron nail about an inch long.

"Heavenly Mountain Divine Light!"

Junior Brother Bai's heart sank suddenly. Just then, more than a dozen Heavenly Mountain Divine Lights shot in from outside the door. Song Ruofeng and the others used their respective methods, and the clanging sounds were endless. After a few breaths, a bunch of iron nails were stuck in the wooden pillars of the hall. More than a dozen disciples could not dodge in time and died on the spot.

"The righteous sects of Tianshan only know how to hide in the shadows and hurt people. This is not the behavior of a hero. It is truly laughable."

"Judging from the direction in which the hidden weapons were used, the Tianshan Sect has sent at least two experts."

Just as Song Ruofeng and the others were on high alert, screams suddenly came from upstairs. Song Ruofeng knew something was wrong and hurriedly jumped up, intending to go upstairs. But at that moment, a sword light flashed. Song Ruofeng felt the chilling killing intent. Without thinking, he turned and drew his sword, colliding with the incoming sword light. Amidst the chaos of the sword light, Song Ruofeng looked at the figure in front of him and his heart sank.

"Shen Henian!"

As soon as he finished speaking, another sword light came from the right. Song Ruofeng couldn't dodge in time, but suddenly a red ribbon came to his aid from below, temporarily blocking the sword light. With this help, Song Ruofeng hurriedly dodged and landed below.

Seeing Song Ruofeng dodge his sword, Shen Henian snorted coldly, leaped down, and launched a fierce attack with his sword. Meanwhile, Li Dengping swung her longsword, shredding the red ribbon piece by piece. As the red ribbon flew everywhere, Li Dengping's longsword suddenly flashed and thrust directly at Mei Yuewu.

The cold stars and chilling killing intent instantly enveloped the entire inn. When Song Ruofeng saw Shen Henian charging towards him, he deflected the attack with his sword. However, he couldn't withstand the force and had to retreat repeatedly. Song Ruofeng's expression became more serious. He then waved his hand forward, and the five people behind him quickly surrounded the fallen Shen Henian.

"Shen Henian, prepare to die!"

Song Ruofeng spoke coldly, and the six men charged forward with their blades. Upon seeing this, Shen Henian immediately wielded his longsword, unleashing a set of Tianshan sword techniques that were impenetrable, blocking all the incoming attacks. Although Shen Henian appeared unharmed, he knew he couldn't hold out for long. However, once his junior brother dealt with those lower-ranking disciples, everything would be settled.

Shen Henian was besieged by Song Ruofeng and his six companions, while Li Dengping was surrounded by Mei Yuewu and more than ten disciples. Mei Yuewu's martial arts skills were all based on her charm, but she was powerless against Li Dengping. If it weren't for the assistance of her disciples, she would have been injured by Li Dengping after more than ten moves.

Seeing Li Dengping kill two more disciples, Mei Yuewu's face suddenly turned ferocious. She threw away the three-foot-long red ribbon she had left, flipped over, and flew out of her left sleeve. With a cracking sound, the long whip flew towards Li Dengping like a dragon. Li Dengping saw this, slashed with his longsword, and killed the remaining three disciples with a single blow. He stood up and raised his head, and the long whip wrapped around his sword, carrying Li Dengping into the air.

Just as Li Dengping leaped into the air, Mei Yuewu sneered, her body plummeting rapidly. At the same time, she bent down and threw three darts flashing blue light at three vital points of Li Dengping.

Although Shen Henian was unharmed at the moment, he was still tightly entangled by the six people. Seeing his junior sister in danger, he broke through the six people's attack with his sword and wanted to go forward to rescue her, but he was blocked by an iron staff. Shen Henian's face darkened, and he pulled back his long sword, slashing through the iron staff and bringing out a trail of sparks. He then bent down and stabbed backward. The owner of the iron staff was caught off guard and was pierced through the heart on the spot.

"Fourth brother!"

Upon seeing his fourth brother's death, Song Ruofeng was enraged and swung his longsword repeatedly, forcing Shen Henian back into the battle.

Without Shen Henian's rescue, Mei Yuewu thought Li Dengping was doomed. Before the smile on her face could fade, a sword light flashed through the air, first breaking the dart, then severing the long whip. Before Mei Yuewu could make a move, the figure moved instantly in mid-air. After landing, Mei Yuewu had a wound on her neck. Before she could say a word, she died on the spot.

"Junior sister!"

Upon seeing Mei Yuewu's death, Junior Brother Bai glared fiercely at Ni Qingfeng. Seeing this, Song Ruofeng and the others immediately split up. Two of them continued to deal with Shen Henian, while the other three split into two groups and attacked Ni Qingfeng and Li Dengping.

Upon seeing Ni Qingfeng appear, Shen Henian felt relieved. However, he was also greatly shocked to see Ni Qingfeng kill Mei Yuewu with a single sword strike. Even he hadn't been able to see the trajectory of the sword.

"This fourth junior brother is usually quiet, but his martial arts skills have reached such a level."

Shen Henian suppressed his thoughts and swept his sword across the room. The remaining two were a piece of cake for him. After several moves, the two were injured one after another. He could finish them off in a few dozen more moves.

The ones attacking Ni Qingfeng were Song Ruofeng and Junior Brother Bai, while 'Gui Xian' Gui Pingzhang was wielding a pair of iron axes and hacking at Li Dengping.

Ni Qingfeng stared coldly at Song Ruofeng and Junior Brother Bai. With a flick of his longsword, a clear and melodious sword sound rang in everyone's ears. Song Ruofeng's expression changed several times, and his figure moved instantly. His longsword flashed repeatedly, each strike dividing the target into three parts, aiming for Ni Qingfeng's chest and abdomen. At the same time, Junior Brother Bai also made his move, his longsword slicing horizontally towards Ni Qingfeng's neck.

"Little tricks."

Ni Qingfeng dodged to the side, slashing diagonally with his sword. The tip of his sword struck Junior Brother Bai's sword, and a surge of powerful true energy sent Junior Brother Bai flying. At the same time, he changed his sword moves several times. One move, "Fishing for the Moon at the Bottom of the Sea," completely enveloped three of Song Ruofeng's sword moves. Then, he used "Tracing Back to the Source" to pierce Song Ruofeng's wrist. If the opponent hadn't retreated quickly, he would have lost an arm.

Song Ruofeng was spared from death, but he couldn't be happy at all. Two screams rang out, and Song Ruofeng watched as Shen Henian pulled the sword out of Junior Brother Zhu's body, his face becoming even more ugly.

"Sect Leader Song, may you have a safe journey."

As Ni Qingfeng watched Shen Henian help Li Dengping deal with Gui Pingzhang, he wielded his longsword again. In a hazy white light, Song Ruofeng felt a daze. When he came to his senses, he felt a chill on his neck and fell to the ground with his eyes wide open, dying with his eyes wide open.

Upon seeing his senior brother's death, Junior Brother Bai cried out in alarm and attacked with his sword, only to be easily defeated by Ni Qingfeng, leaving him with a look of resentment.

With another scream, Gui Pingzhang was finally pierced through by the twin swords of Shen Henian and Li Dengping.

"Walk."

After cleaning up the body and removing the traces, Ni Qingfeng nodded to Shen Henian and Li Dengping. The three of them mounted their horses and rode back towards Tianshan amidst the blazing fire.

(End of this chapter)