A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 292 Obtaining the Dragon Ball Again
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yun's expression changed drastically. He glanced at He Yanrong and her daughter in the distance, then turned and left the courtyard. The Sun and Moon Duo immediately followed.

The three entered the main hall. Shangguan Yunduan sat on the throne, looked at the two, and asked in a deep voice, "Have you found out who did it?"

He could disregard the Huashan Sect, the Emei Sect, and the Chanyin Temple, but Gao Jue of the Black Tiger Sect was his trusted confidant, and he couldn't fail to avenge him, otherwise he would lose his prestige in the future.

"I have already sent people to investigate, but there will probably be no news for a while. Hall Master, Yue Qianfeng of the Huashan Sect, Qing Lingzi of the Emei Sect, Fu Zhong of the Beggars' Sect, and the monk Ku Mu of the Chanyin Temple are all top-notch masters. To be able to eliminate them all at once in one night, the martial arts of the person who did it must be unfathomable. In the current martial arts world, besides our Zhongxin Hall, only the Tianshan Sect has such strength."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yun said, "The Tianshan Sect would not do such a thing. I know Xue Wanshan quite well. He is the kind of person who will not offend others unless they offend him. Moreover, the Tianshan Sect has never had any grudges with the other sects. The Tianshan Sect has no reason to deal with them. If we're talking about the Tianshan Sect dealing with the Three Swords of Heaven, Earth and Man, then the Two Heroes of the Northern Desert might be a better match."

"Master, if it wasn't the Tianshan Sect that could so easily wipe out these sects, could it be someone from above?" Yue Sha pondered for a long time, his expression changing slightly. He looked at Shangguan Yun, extended his right index finger, and pointed upwards.

Ri Sha's expression changed drastically upon seeing this, while Shangguan Yun remained calm and composed, saying, "It could not have been the court that made the move, otherwise this news would not have been leaked to us. The court values ​​stability above all else. As long as the situation is kept under control, they will not interfere. Currently, our Zhongxin Hall and the Tianshan Sect are locked in a standoff. If they had not secretly intervened, I, the hall master, would certainly not believe it."

"Perhaps I've overlooked someone. Yue Sha, find out the latest information about White-headed Eagle, Living Yama, and the Tang Clan."

These three families have disappeared since the Tianshan Conference, keeping such a low profile that people have almost forgotten about them. Shangguan Yun had been keeping his sights on Qiushui Manor, but after Qiushui Manor was annexed, he turned his attention to Tianshan Sect. Just now, when he heard Yue Sha mention the imperial court, he immediately thought of Tang Sect, which had close ties with the government.

"Yes."

Upon hearing this, Yue Sha immediately agreed and went downstairs. Ri Sha asked from the side, "Does the Hall Master suspect that these three families have already colluded?"

"I just have some doubts. Yue Sha also said that Yue Qianfeng and the other three were quite skilled. The only way to kill them without them having a chance to fight back is either because their martial arts were superb or because they were poisoned. And the Tang Clan is one of the best in this field. I can't help but have doubts. Moreover, the White-Headed Eagle has always been at odds with us. It's not impossible that he's trying to take advantage of the situation."

"Master is wise. Now that you say it, the matter is about 80% accurate."

At this moment, Shangguan Yun felt a bit violent. He had always wanted to deal with the White-headed Eagle. The entire evil sect followed his lead. If he could get rid of him, the evil alliance would be leaderless. Then he could defeat them one by one, control both the righteous and evil paths, and use this power to overwhelm Tianshan.

"If he really did it, once I recover, I'll definitely teach him a lesson!"

At this moment, Yue Sha walked in with a stack of sorted reports, handed them to Shangguan Yun one by one, and summarized them one by one: "On April 13th, Duan Cheng, a disciple of the White-Headed Eagle, appeared at the Gate of Hell, and was later respectfully escorted out by the eldest disciple of the Living Yama."

"On April 25, Duan Cheng and his group of seven arrived at the Tang Clan in Sichuan, and returned seven days later."

On the sixth day of the fifth month, Tang En, the third elder of the Tang Clan, left Sichuan and then disappeared without a trace.

"On the third day of the sixth lunar month, a great fire broke out on Mount Emei, resulting in the loss of several disciples. At the same time, there was internal strife on Mount Hua, the gilded Buddha statue at Chanyin Temple was decapitated, and there was also a bloody fight among Beggar Clan members..."

As Shangguan Yun listened, he looked at the reports in his hand. After a moment, he casually threw the reports aside, his face darkening. He slapped the armrest and said sternly, "I underestimated Bai Tou. He took advantage of my distraction to pull this trick on me. Did he really think I couldn't see through his intentions? Ha, he's really petty and doesn't deserve any respect."

The matter is now quite clear: the three families of the White-headed Eagle must be in cahoots to create chaos in the martial arts world so they can profit from it. Do they think they're blind?

"Master, have me lead men to wipe out the Tang Clan." Ri Sha bowed to Shangguan Yun. The white-headed eagle was not easy to deal with, but this small Tang Clan would be easy to destroy if he was careful.

"Hmm, the Tang Clan is a target. Sun and Moon, you take ten people and immediately head to Sichuan to wipe out all the high-ranking members of the Tang Clan. As for the lower-ranking disciples, let them be."

Tang Clan had no objection to dealing with Huashan and other sects, but killing Gao Jue was a resounding slap in the face to themselves. Since that was the case, they had to pay the price for it.

"I obey my orders."

The two evil spirits of the Sun and Moon responded simultaneously. Most of the elites in the Zhongxin Hall headquarters had been transferred to guard various places, leaving only more than forty people. With thirty people transferred at once, it seems that the hall master intends to uproot the Tang Clan.

"Get ready quickly, go down."

Shangguan Yun waved his hand, and the Sun and Moon Twin Fiends bowed again before turning and leaving the main hall. After sitting for a long time, Shangguan Yun got up and went to the secret chamber in the back hall. Looking at the two dragon pearls that were shining with golden light, Shangguan Yun's eyes revealed an undisguised ambition. He pulled the two dragon pearls into his hands, and with a flash, he sat cross-legged on the training platform, mobilizing his internal energy to continuously refine them with the dragon pearls.

As the two dragon balls were activated by the true energy, their golden light grew brighter and brighter, like two radiant suns, obscuring Shangguan Yun's figure. Within Shangguan Yun's body, the true energy also turned golden, revealing a mysterious aura.

After observing for half a day, Shangguan Yun felt the boundless power surging within his body. He let out a roar, flicked his hands to place the Dragon Pearl back in its original position, and struck out with his right palm. A huge golden palm print blasted out, instantly piercing through the solid stone wall and leaving a clearly visible five-finger palm print, with wisps of crimson energy still lingering around it.

"Good, the Golden Fire Refining Technique has finally been mastered, and I have completed the final stage."

Shangguan Yun couldn't help but show surprise. The final level of the Golden Splitting Palm, "Melting Gold," is the most powerful. Once struck by this palm, it will melt snow like the blazing sun, turning a person into nothingness. Since the Golden Splitting Palm was passed down, he is the second person to successfully cultivate it.

Taking a deep breath, Shangguan Yun calmed himself down, tidied himself up a bit, and turned to leave the secret room. It was already late, and Shangguan Yun wanted to have dinner with his wife and daughter. Halfway there, he suddenly stopped and, without turning around, said to those behind him, "Who is this expert?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a figure descended from the sky three zhang behind Shangguan Yun, landing lightly on the ground. The person was dressed in coarse cloth, with a resolute face, a slender figure, and deep, bright eyes, staring intently at Shangguan Yun.

"Shangguan Yun, return the Dragon Pearl."

Cha Mulong's clear voice reached Shangguan Yun's ears. The latter's heart stirred, and he turned around to look back. Seeing the somewhat familiar face, Shangguan Yun frowned, then his eyes lit up, and he said in a deep voice, "So it's you. I didn't expect that after all these years, you're still alive."

Upon recognizing Cha Mulong from over a decade ago, Shangguan Yun's killing intent surged. As soon as he finished speaking, his figure leaped forward, leaving only a blur behind as his true form soared into the air. He unleashed a Golden Palm strike, the golden palm print hurtling towards Cha Mulong, the rolling waves of energy spreading in all directions. Cha Mulong, positioned in the center, remained motionless, raising his single palm to the sky. A protective aura enveloped his entire body, and the golden palm print struck it, but failed to break through.

"Humph!"

Shangguan Yun showed disdain and added three more points of strength. The golden palm print slowly pressed down, and the air shield hissed and kept contracting inward. In just a few breaths, the air shield shrank and barely protected Cha Mulong's whole body.

Cha Mulong felt the power emanating from the golden palm print, but his expression remained unchanged. He let out a deep shout, raised his left palm high, and a palm wind swept up like a flying dragon, spiraling into the sky and surging into mid-air, launching a fierce attack on Shangguan Yun.

This move is a martial art passed down through generations of the Chamu tribe. It originally did not have a specific name, but Chamulong later named it "Flying Dragon Palm" based on its appearance.

The Flying Dragon Palm was incredibly powerful, even surpassing the Gold-Dividing Palm. Shangguan Yun's expression changed slightly. He withdrew his palm, flipped over, and landed. He drew his fine steel soft sword from his waist. With his internal energy flowing in, the sword energy was like frost, chilling to the bone. Ten thousand cold stars pierced towards Cha Mulong's vital points from all directions. Seeing this, Cha Mulong turned his palm energy back and struck out with both palms at the same time. The two dragon-shaped palm energies intertwined, forming a dragon of energy that circled around his body, roaring. Then, he raised his head and flew out, colliding with the ten thousand cold stars. Instantly, the sword energy tore through the air, and the palm shattered the ground. Cha Mulong groaned, his blood surging within him, and he staggered back two steps.

"Shangguan Yun's martial arts are much stronger than Qiu Tangbai's. It seems that he has used more than one dragon ball to cultivate."

Cha Mulong slowly calmed his breathing, his eyes coldly fixed on Shangguan Yun in front of him.

"Impressive martial arts skills! If you had such skills back then, the eight of us would have already perished at your hands. However, times have changed, and today I will completely eradicate your Chamu clan!"

Although Shangguan Yun had the upper hand in that exchange, it had also caused his internal energy to become somewhat unstable. Now that he had calmed down, the cold light of his longsword flowed in his hand, and his figure instantly split into three, each wielding a longsword, launching continuous attacks on Cha Mulong from three directions. The swords clashed and the cold light flashed, and Cha Mulong's figure became increasingly frustrated, gradually falling into a disadvantageous position.

After a brief exchange, Cha Mulong paused, giving Shangguan Yun an opening. He unleashed a three-pronged attack, thrusting the sword towards Cha Mulong's chest. However, to Shangguan Yun's surprise, the sword struck a solid iron wall instead of Cha Mulong's chest. With a clang, the sword bent and hummed; had it not been forged from refined steel, it would likely have broken by now. Shangguan Yun's all-out attack failed to severely injure Cha Mulong; instead, he was badly shaken by the recoil. He unleashed a palm strike with his left hand while simultaneously loosening his grip on his right, pulling back as the sword bounced back into his hand.

"What kind of martial arts does this person practice that can block my Five Elements Sword Technique?"

Shangguan Yun narrowed his eyes slightly, held the long sword upside down, and silently calmed his inner energy.

Although Cha Mulong managed to block Shangguan Yun's sword strike, the sword energy also entered his body, constantly disturbing his true energy. If it weren't for the Dragon Pearl protecting him, that sword strike would have been enough to seriously injure him.

With a swift stroke of his longsword, Shangguan Yun leaped forward again. His sword flashed across the ground, sparks flying, and then slashed upwards diagonally. The sword light was as white as snow, attacking Cha Mulong from three directions: left, right, and front. This move was called "Three Rites of Sorrow." Once it was thrust out, the opponent's three vital acupoints, "Shanzhong," "Shenmen," and "Yougu," would be enveloped within it. This move was cunning and difficult to defend against.

Cha Mulong's breathing had not yet calmed down. He sensed that this move was extraordinary. Although he could withstand it, he did not believe that Shangguan Yun had no backup plan. Therefore, without hesitation, he offered up a dragon pearl.

He then placed the tooth flute at his waist to his lips and played a tune. The flute's sound was melodious and clear, with a deep and warm tone, but also a hint of wildness hidden within. The dragon pearl was activated by the flute's sound, and its golden light suddenly intensified, forming a dazzling golden ball that protected Chamulong. The sharp sword strikes struck it, but not a single drop of water was stirred up.

"Dragon Ball!"

Upon seeing Chamulong take out the Dragon Pearl, Shangguan Yun's eyes lit up, his expression became frenzied, and his attacks became even more ruthless. Sword energy crisscrossed, and palm wind swept in all directions. Shangguan Yun used both sword and palm, and instantly the area within several feet was filled with his true energy. The golden light screen formed by the Dragon Pearl trembled continuously under the pressure of the sword and palm. Chamulong, who was playing the flute, had sweat dripping from his forehead, his lips were red, and his face was pale.

"The Dragon Balls are mine!"

Shangguan Yun slashed through the air with his sword, and a few inches of sword light bloomed from the tip of the sword. With a hiss, it directly pierced through the golden light barrier. With another forceful slash, the light barrier was instantly cut in two. The dragon pearl was as if it had been severely injured. The golden light immediately receded and it slowly fell. Before it hit the ground, Shangguan Yun grabbed it.

When the dragon pearl was grazed by the sword light, Cha Mulong was thrown several feet away by the recoil force and knelt on the ground, looking helplessly at Shangguan Yun who was walking slowly towards him.

"You should have more than one Dragon Ball. Hand over the rest, and I might spare your body. Otherwise, I will leave you with nothing but ashes."

Shangguan Yun guessed that Cha Mulong had at least two dragon balls, one of which was the one that had fallen into the Tianshan Sect before, and the other was obtained from Qiu Tangbai.

"Ha, the Dragon Balls are sentient beings. You have been cursed by Heaven for taking them by your own hand. With your power, you can only control three at most. Any more and you will go mad. Shangguan Yun, you are greedy and will surely suffer disaster!"

Cha Mulong slowly stood up, staring intently at Shangguan Yun, who sneered upon hearing this, saying, "You're courting death!"

As he spoke, Shangguan Yun thrust his sword straight at Cha Mulong like lightning. The latter neither dodged nor evaded, preparing to take the blow head-on. Suddenly, a cold light descended from the sky, and a long sword clashed with Shangguan Yun's precious sword. Several clanging sounds were heard as the two quickly exchanged several moves. Sparks flew, waves of air surged, and a chilling aura immediately spread.

"Ni Qingfeng!"

Shangguan Yun recognized the newcomer's identity and shouted, his longsword looping in and out, aiming at Ni Qingfeng. The latter, seeing this, slashed directly at the newcomer's head, shattering each loop. Then, he slashed horizontally with his longsword. Shangguan Yun hurriedly retreated, his sword shielding his chest, his left palm gathering hidden strength, preparing for a thunderous strike. Ni Qingfeng then raised his longsword, opening Shangguan Yun's sword and revealing an opening. Ni Qingfeng immediately used the move "Going with the Flow," thrusting straight at Shangguan Yun's chest. At this moment, Shangguan Yun swiftly swung his left palm, unleashing a Golden Splitting Palm strike on Ni Qingfeng's sword. A crimson light flashed in his palm, attempting to melt the longsword.

However, Ni Qingfeng remained unmoved upon seeing this, allowing Shangguan Yun to grab the sword. He then extended his left hand forward, and before Shangguan Yun could react, the dragon pearl hidden in his bosom was taken by Ni Qingfeng. Shangguan Yun roared, abandoned the forged sword, and charged forward, switching the sword to his left hand and forming a claw with his right, grabbing at the dragon pearl in Ni Qingfeng's hand.

After several exchanges, Ni Qingfeng realized that the time was almost up and deliberately created an opening. When they exchanged blows again, the Dragon Pearl was struck into the air. Upon seeing this, Shangguan Yun's face lit up with joy. He then unleashed seven strikes with his sword, sealing seven vital acupoints on Ni Qingfeng's body. This move was intended to block rather than injure the enemy. Therefore, by the time Ni Qingfeng reacted, the Dragon Pearl had already fallen back into Shangguan Yun's hand, and he then struck Ni Qingfeng with a Golden Splitting Palm.

"go!"

Upon seeing this, Ni Qingfeng exchanged palm strikes, his body trembled, and he floated away, grabbing Cha Mulong and disappearing in a few leaps.

"puff."

When Shangguan Yun saw Ni Qingfeng leave, his face flushed slightly, and he spat out a mouthful of black blood. He must have risked injury to repel Ni Qingfeng, otherwise, if the two of them had joined forces, the Dragon Pearl would have been lost.

With a soft sword wrapped around his waist, Shangguan Yun swept his sleeve clean of the blood on the ground, glanced at the dragon pearl, and put it into his pocket.

"Clean up the traces."

Shangguan Yun gave an instruction to Jiang Che, who arrived late, then turned and returned to the main hall. Without stopping, he entered the secret chamber and placed the third dragon ball on the altar. The three dragon balls converged, and the golden light became even brighter. Upon seeing this, Shangguan Yun sat cross-legged and silently circulated his inner energy, continuously absorbing the energy emanating from the dragon balls into his body.

After only a few breaths, Shangguan Yun felt refreshed and his fatigue from the two battles was completely gone. Moreover, he felt that he was not far from breaking through to the next realm.

"As long as one can reach the Innate Realm, the martial world will be in my hands. Ni Qingfeng, Tianshan Sect, humph!"

In the woods ten miles away from Zhongxin Hall, Ni Qingfeng put Cha Mulong down, removed his mask, and placed a single palm against Cha Mulong's back. A surge of pure true energy flowed into Cha Mulong's body to help heal his injuries. After a short while, Ni Qingfeng withdrew his hand and said calmly, "Clan Chief Cha Mulong, you were a bit reckless tonight. If it weren't for me, were you planning to use the Dragon Pearl to escape and also trick Shangguan Yun?"

"Thank you for your help, Daoist. I did have that plan. Shangguan Yun currently has at least three Dragon Balls. Based on my observation, given his skill level, he can only control a maximum of four. Any more and he will bring trouble upon himself."

“Shangguan Yun cannot die now. The martial world still needs him to unite. If Chief Chamu wants revenge, there is no need to rush. Perhaps he should focus on something else.”

"What do you mean by that, Taoist priest?"

“Your son Chamu Xue is still alive. Perhaps you should go back to Qilian Mountain first.”

"what!"

Chamulong's expression changed, then he was overjoyed. If someone else had said that, he might have worried that the other party was cheating, but the person in front of him was not that kind of person.

"Whether it is true or false, Chief Chamu should personally verify it."

"Also, Chief Chamu, could you lend me the dragon pearl you obtained from Qiutang?"

"Why not, Taoist priest? Here you go."

Upon hearing this, Cha Mulong handed a dragon pearl to Ni Qingfeng without saying a word. After examining it for a moment, the latter returned it to Cha Mulong.

"Chief Chamu, take care on your journey. When the time is right, the Tianshan Sect will send you a message. I will take my leave now."

Watching Ni Qingfeng's figure disappear, Cha Mulong put away the dragon pearl, a glimmer of hope rising in his heart. He left the forest and headed west.

(End of this chapter)