A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 274 Fierce Confrontation

On the square, the martial artists, whose ears were filled with demonic sounds, all felt their blood surging. When they saw the rain of stones flying towards them, their expressions changed drastically. Just then, Xue Wanshan saw this and flicked his whisk. The stone slabs on the ground were instantly lifted up and stood in front of everyone, surrounding them.

All that could be heard inside was the sound of stones colliding. Everyone felt a sense of relief and immediately took the opportunity to suppress the surging internal energy within their bodies.

When Chen Zhong Mu Gu saw Xue Wanshan block the attack, their expressions changed. They exchanged a glance, then their palms met, and they played the demonic music again. Invisible sound waves came from the bells and drums, rushing towards the crowd like a surging torrent.

Seeing this, Shangguan Yun snorted coldly, raised his palm and channeled his energy to temporarily block out the demonic sound. He then leaped into the air and reached for the dragon pearl. Mu Gu's expression changed immediately upon seeing this. He then opened his palm and unleashed a powerful palm strike at Shangguan Yun.

"Sun and moon, stop the morning bell!"

When Shangguan Yun saw Mugu flying over, a glint flashed in his eyes. If Chenzhong and Mugu were together, he would have to be wary. But if it was just one person, it would be easy to deal with. His thoughts raced, and he rushed forward to meet the palm strike. The two clashed again, and this time Mugu was forced back several steps by Shangguan Yun's palm.

On the other side, the morning bell was entangled by the Sun and Moon Twin Fiends, and the Scorpion Demonic Sound finally stopped. Seeing this, Xue Wanshan swept his whisk and put the pitted stone slab back in its original position.

"Junior brother, please keep an eye on them for a while," Xue Wanshan instructed Ni Qingfeng, who nodded in agreement.

With a swift movement, Xue Wanshan took advantage of the moment when he was fighting with Shangguan Yun and the others at Chenzhong Mugu. He flicked his whisk towards the dragon pearl, intending to retrieve it. Just then, the purple light of the dragon pearl suddenly disappeared, and the whisk was immediately shattered into pieces. Xue Wanshan's expression changed slightly, and he took a few steps into the air before landing steadily on the ground.

Meanwhile, the unexpected turn of events on Xue Wanshan's side also caught everyone's attention. Shangguan Yun gathered his true energy and unleashed a "Gold-Dividing Palm" that sent Mu Gu spitting blood and staggering backward. Upon seeing this, Chen Zhong cried out in sorrow, his sleeves billowing as he temporarily forced the Sun and Moon Duo back. With light steps, he quickly arrived at Mu Gu's side.

"Today, I, the master of this hall, will send you to your deaths."

Shangguan Yun's eyes flashed, and he moved in an instant, striking the two with a palm. As the palm force approached, the power to shatter rocks and split gold caused Chen Zhong's expression to change drastically. Just then, Xue Wanshan's voice rang in Shangguan Yun's ears.

"Master Shangguan, be careful of what's above!"

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yun was startled and looked up to see a handsome and extraordinary figure descending from the sky with a palm strike.

"Meng Baichuan!"

The palm strike was already upon him, leaving no time to change his move. Shangguan Yun immediately withdrew his palm force and met it head-on. Meng Baichuan's Hundred Poison Palm shone brightly with emerald light, pressing Shangguan Yun down in one fell swoop. The stone slabs beneath his feet cracked and shattered, and a wave of energy rippled outwards in all directions.

"Hall Master!"

Seeing Shangguan Yun being suppressed, the Sun and Moon Duo immediately stepped forward to provide support. Meng Baichuan sneered, continuing to suppress Shangguan Yun with his right palm, while sweeping his folding fan with his left hand, and a ball of emerald light rushed towards the Sun and Moon Duo.

Knowing that Meng Baichuan was skilled in using poison, the Sun and Moon Duo dared not let the Azure Light get close. They unleashed several palm strikes to block the Azure Light. Since they were caught up in this situation, Shangguan Yun was unable to escape for the time being.

"Mingzhu, Feicui, go and get the Dragon Pearl back." Meng Baichuan glanced at Xue Wanshan, who was standing firmly, and Mugu, who was seriously injured, and immediately gave the order. Two beautiful figures walked in from outside the Tianshan Sect, one after the other. They glanced at the Dragon Pearl floating in the air, exchanged a look, and with a soft cry, reached out to grab the Dragon Pearl.

Seeing this, Xue Wanshan snorted coldly and moved, striking Mingzhu and Feicui with a Heavenly Mountain Divine Finger. These two had mediocre martial arts skills and were no match for this Heavenly Mountain technique. In just one move, they were struck on vital points and fell to the ground.

When Meng Baichuan saw that the two men had been injured, he was momentarily distracted. Shangguan Yun seized the opportunity and grabbed upwards with his left hand in a claw-like motion. Meng Baichuan was startled and immediately used his folding fan to protect himself. At the same time, he added three more points of force with his right hand. With a tearing sound, Meng Baichuan's figure flew backwards and landed on a flagpole. The folding fan in his hand was already broken and tattered.

"Master Meng, your presence is an honor. I apologize for not being able to greet you properly."

Xue Wanshan stepped forward, looking at Shangguan Yun, whose face was slightly pale. He bowed to Meng Baichuan, who chuckled and said, "Sect Leader Xue is truly a man of great talent. There are only a handful of people in the martial arts world who can be considered worthy of my attention, and your Tianshan Sect has two of them. You are truly remarkable. In a few more years, I'm afraid the position of the leader of the martial arts alliance will have to change hands. Sect Leader Xue, I would like to offer my congratulations in advance."

Shangguan Yun's face turned ugly as he listened to Meng Baichuan's sarcastic words. He glanced at Xue Wanshan, who remained calm.

"Sect Leader Meng's tactic of sowing discord is far too obvious. The Tianshan Sect and the Zhongxin Hall are both righteous sects in the martial arts world. How could they possibly develop a rift because of your few words?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Baichuan chuckled, his figure swaying as he landed in front of Pearl and Jade. He tossed aside the folding fan in his hand, and Pearl, standing beside him, took out a white jade bone fan from her sleeve and handed it to Meng Baichuan.

"Frank people don't mince words, Sect Leader Xue. Your sect's Ni Qingfeng killed my nephews Tang Sen and Tang Yong. Shouldn't your Tianshan Sect give me an explanation?"

Meng Baichuan glanced at the two figures, Chen Zhong and Mu Gu, not far away, cursed his bad luck inwardly, and then focused his gaze on the dragon pearl floating in the sky.

"Tang Sen and Tang Yong joined forces with unorthodox sects to besiege my Tianshan Sect. In the end, they were outmatched and died at the hands of my junior brother. What's wrong with that? I didn't lead my people to destroy the Tang Clan because of Sect Leader Meng. Yet Sect Leader Meng comes to me today to demand an explanation. This is truly absurd."

"Sect Leader Xue, to make a long story short, I only want the Dragon Pearl. If your sect hands over the Dragon Pearl, I will leave immediately. Otherwise, my Thousand-Bore Deadly Powder will not discriminate."

As he spoke, Meng Baichuan gripped a porcelain bottle with his left hand, looking as if he were about to smash it at the slightest provocation. Everyone present paled upon hearing the name "Thousand-Bore Deadly Powder," especially Tang En and Tang De, whose poison's power was well-known.

This item is one of the forbidden items of the Tang Clan. It is extremely vicious. When Meng Baichuan broke away from the Tang Clan and established his own sect, the Tang Clan sent several experts to try to eliminate Meng Baichuan in order to prevent the leakage of the sect's secret techniques. However, they were all killed by this "Thousand-Hole Deadly Powder" in the end, and their deaths were extremely tragic.

Xue Wanshan and Shangguan Yan exchanged a glance, both with solemn expressions. This thing was nothing to them, but it would be exceptionally easy to deal with those disciples. Xue Wanshan was hesitant to act rashly, as he was afraid of harming the Tianshan Sect. Although Shangguan Yun also wanted to see the Tianshan Sect suffer a setback, the timing was not right. If not handled properly, it could cause turmoil in the martial arts world. Moreover, he still hadn't avenged Meng Baichuan's slap earlier.

"Master's wife, when I try to seize the dragon pearl, please cover for me."

Watching Xue Wanshan, Shangguan Yun, and Meng Baichuan confront each other, Mu Gu thought to himself that his opportunity had come. He whispered a few instructions to Chen Zhong, who nodded and then withdrew the true energy he had been channeling to Mu Gu, slowly calming his inner breath.

Meng Baichuan watched the two pondering, then gave a wink to Pearl and Jade. The two understood and tried to take the Dragon Pearl, but Mu Gu swept them away with a palm strike. The two cried out in agony and coughed up blood.

"Pearls, jade!"

Meng Baichuan's eyes turned cold, but before he could make a move, Shangguan Yun took the lead, his icy gaze fixed on Mugu. He unleashed a powerful palm strike at Mugu, but Chen Zhong, who was prepared, immediately struck out with her bare hand. A series of noisy and obscure bell sounds came towards Shangguan Yun. The latter snorted coldly, and three phantoms instantly separated from his body. Two of them flew into the sky, one on the left and one on the right, blocking Mugu.

"I didn't expect Shangguan Yun to have mastered the Mysterious Shadow Three-Part Technique. If I hadn't ambushed him, he wouldn't have revealed this trump card."

Meng Baichuan glanced at Xue Wanshan, and seeing that the other party did not make any further moves, he slowly walked to Mingzhu and Feicui's side, placed his palms on their backs, and helped them dissipate the stagnant energy.

"Thank you, Master."

"You all stand to the side."

Meng Baichuan handed the two men two pills, which they immediately swallowed. Upon hearing their master's instructions, they obediently stayed to the side.

Shangguan Yun used the Mysterious Shadow Three-Part Technique to immediately force Mu Gu to retreat step by step. With another palm strike, he directly made Mu Gu vomit three liters of blood. Chen Zhong, who was playing the bell nearby, was shocked to see this. He abandoned the bell, flew upwards, grabbed Mu Gu, and left without stopping, heading straight for the outside of the mountain gate.

"Meng Baichuan, you're asking for death!"

Just after Shangguan Yun repelled Mugu, Meng Baichuan, who was standing nearby, saw this opportunity and immediately threw out the "Thousand-Bore Deadly Powder". The porcelain bottle shattered, and a thick, turbid yellow mist rose from it. It drifted with the wind and quickly spread, covering half of the square. The dragon pearl that emitted purple light was also gradually swallowed up, and only its brilliance could be seen occasionally.

"Shangguan Yun, I will not keep you company any longer. Sect Leader Xue, farewell."

The purple light within the yellow mist vanished instantly, and Shangguan Yun was immediately enraged. He spread his hands outwards, gathering his true energy, and a powerful force instantly converged. With a deep shout, a ball of true energy shot towards the direction from which Meng Baichuan's voice came, stirring the yellow mist and eliciting a muffled groan from within. Meng Baichuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Mingzhu and Feicui both looked worried. The three of them continued walking away without stopping.

"This Shangguan Yun has gained a lot of benefits by relying on the Dragon Pearl. He can even hurt me when he's injured. I really underestimated him."

A bitter smile crept onto Meng Baichuan's face. After obtaining the Dragon Ball, he prioritized maintaining his youth, while martial arts skills became secondary. Therefore, his injury was to be expected.

Although Shangguan Yun's all-out attack injured Meng Baichuan, his already unstable internal energy erupted, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood, which greatly shocked the Sun and Moon Duo.

“Meng Baichuan has been injured by me. Riyue, quickly go and bring the Dragon Ball back to me.”

After speaking, he immediately sat down cross-legged, circulated his inner energy, and calmed his internal breathing.

Upon hearing this, the Sun and Moon Duo exchanged a glance, then raised their protective true energy and chased after Meng Baichuan in the direction he had left. Xue Wanshan sighed as he watched the Sun and Moon Duo leave, and came to Shangguan Yun's side, who immediately became wary.

"Is it worth it for Hall Master Shangguan to obtain this dragon pearl?"

"There's no such thing as worth it or not. Whoever gets the Dragon Ball gets the world. Sect Leader Xue, does your Tianshan Sect really not want this Dragon Ball?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Wanshan shook his head and looked at Shangguan Yun, saying, "This is not something belonging to my Tianshan Sect, so I will not keep it. Although this Dragon Pearl is magical, it is also a scourge. From the time it appeared until now, only a month has passed, and the entire martial arts world has become chaotic, with countless deaths and injuries. Is this the result that Hall Master Shangguan wanted?"

“Those mediocre people are not worthy of the Dragon Pearl. It is precisely because the Dragon Pearl is so powerful that it cannot be left to languish. Only those with both virtue and talent are worthy of possessing it. Since the Tianshan Sect is unwilling to keep the Dragon Pearl, let the Zhongxin Hall take it away. This will help quell this storm and restore peace to the martial arts world.”

"Master Shangguan, you have become too deeply attached to things, which is not a blessing. Trying to take what does not belong to you will eventually bring disaster upon yourself. I have said all I have to say. I hope you will take good care of yourself."

After saying this, Xue Wanshan walked towards the "Thousand-Bore Deadly Powder," flicking it left and right with both hands. A gentle gust of wind rolled back and forth, continuously gathering and compressing the yellow mist inward, finally condensing it into a golden ball of gas.

"drink!"

Xue Wanshan, carrying the ball of energy, strode several meters to a cliff face. He then flung it downwards, and the golden ball of energy was thrown into the cliff. No matter how powerful it was, it could not withstand the power of nature's creation, and it was completely destroyed within a year.

Seeing this, Shangguan Yun snorted coldly in his heart, then silently closed his eyes to regulate his breathing. In less than half a moment, his injuries had been almost completely healed. He stood up, glanced at everyone present, and was shocked when he saw the Tianshan Sect. Ni Qingfeng had disappeared without a trace.

"What a fine Xue Wanshan."

With a flick of his sleeve and a light step, Shangguan Yun swiftly ran towards the outside of the mountain gate.

"Sect Leader, what about Fourth Junior Brother?"

Li Dengping slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, looking at Xue Wanshan with slight worry. Shen Henian, who was standing next to her, also turned his gaze over.

Xue Wanshan withdrew his palms, glanced at the two of them, and said calmly, "Fourth Junior Brother has his own plans, so there's no need to worry. However, with today's commotion, our Tianshan Sect's future days will not be so peaceful."

Upon hearing this, Li Dengping and Shen Henian's expressions also turned serious. Regardless of whether Shangguan Yun obtained the Dragon Pearl or not, the Tianshan Sect would be a key target for his future suppression.

Ten miles away from Tianshan, in a valley, Meng Baichuan sat cross-legged by the stream, with a dragon pearl floating above his head. Clusters of purple light were constantly being absorbed into his body, and his damaged meridians were being repaired. Just then, the Sun and Moon Duo discovered Meng Baichuan and his companions and launched an attack without saying a word. After only a few moves, the pearl and jade were both knocked to the ground.

The two men looked at Meng Baichuan, whose eyes were tightly closed, and carefully moved forward. When they were three feet away from each other, the Sun and Moon Duo exchanged a glance, nodded, and then unleashed two powerful palm strikes from the air, attacking Meng Baichuan from the left and right.

But just as the palm energy struck him, Meng Baichuan suddenly opened his eyes. With a surge of qi, the two palm energies shattered instantly. He turned to look at Ri Sha, his eyes flashing with emerald light. Ri Sha was momentarily dazed, and then emerald light also appeared in his eyes. He raised his hand and struck at Yue Sha.

"brother!"

Caught off guard, Yue Sha was struck in the chest by Ri Sha's palm, staggering back several steps as he stared in disbelief at his brother with whom he had spent every day.

"go!"

Seeing that Ri Sha had fallen under his bewitching spell, Meng Baichuan put away the Dragon Pearl, grabbed the Mingzhu Jade, and dashed out of the valley. However, just as he left the valley, he paused, his eyes warily fixed on the figure on the rock not far away.

"Meng Baichuan, leave the Dragon Pearl behind."

Ni Qingfeng jumped down from the rock, sword in hand, and slowly walked towards Meng Baichuan.

“Ni Qingfeng, your reputation has been quite impressive lately. I’ve come to see for myself.”

Meng Baichuan's eyes sharpened, and he tossed his folding fan out, spinning faster and faster, like a sharp blade slicing through the air, the hissing sound sending chills down one's spine. However, upon seeing this, Ni Qingfeng swept his sword sheath across the air, and a powerful sword aura struck the fan handle squarely. With a crack, the folding fan shattered halfway through its flight. But just as the folding fan was destroyed, a cluster of black needles shot towards Ni Qingfeng.

Seeing this, Ni Qingfeng spun his sword scabbard rapidly, blocking all the incoming needles. With another flick of his wrist, all the needles on the scabbard were shaken to the ground, and the grass on the ground was pierced by the needles, turning black in an instant.

"What skillful technique! You managed to break my poisoned flying needles. Ni Qingfeng, you are indeed extraordinary. However, with the Dragon Ball in my hand, you cannot do anything to me."

When Meng Baichuan saw Ni Qingfeng block the flying needle, his eyes narrowed. In just two short exchanges, he had already seen how troublesome the other party was. His aura was unfathomable, and he was no less than Shangguan Yun. It would be extremely difficult to defeat him.

Ni Qingfeng remained silent upon hearing this, slowly drawing his longsword. The blade gleamed white, reflecting a chilling light under the sunlight, and a murderous aura emanated from him.

Meng Baichuan was terrified by the overwhelming killing intent emanating from the peerless dragon pearl. After much deliberation, he glanced at the dragon pearl with reluctance, threw it towards Ni Qingfeng, and then swiftly moved away, his movements graceful and unrestrained. Ignoring the pearl and jade, he ran alone towards the outside of the valley.

Seeing Meng Baichuan leave, Ni Qingfeng reached out and sucked the dragon pearl back into his palm, placing it in the wooden box he had prepared beforehand. He glanced at the pearl and jade, then left without saying a word.

Seeing Ni Qingfeng leave, Mingzhu and Feicui immediately chased after Meng Baichuan in the direction he had gone. Just after the three of them left, Shangguan Yun arrived late. Seeing the Sun and Moon Duo fighting each other, he separated the two with a palm and broke the Sun Duo's bewitching spell.

"Master, I have failed in my duties. Please punish me!"

Seeing Shangguan Yun's frosty expression, Ri Sha immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness. Yue Sha, seeing this, also knelt down to plead for mercy and explained the matter in detail.

“They can’t have gone far. Send down the order to seal off all entrances to the Tianshan Sect. Report them immediately if they are discovered.”

"Yes."

Following the footprints, Shangguan Yun and his two companions quickly arrived at the place where Meng Baichuan and Ni Qingfeng had fought. After inspecting the area, Shangguan Yun pointed in a direction and said, "Take this road."

The three immediately followed the path and, in no time, heard the sounds of fighting. Shangguan Yun was delighted and quickened his pace. When he arrived at a bamboo forest, he discovered that the person fighting Meng Baichuan was not Ni Qingfeng, but a handsome middle-aged man in black and a beautiful woman in white.

"Lu Aotian, Lü Fengming, what are they doing here?"

(End of this chapter)