A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 293 Xuanwu Appears
In the woods, Ni Qingfeng turned back, watched Cha Mulong leave, and moved swiftly, heading back towards Zhongxin Hall. Shangguan Yun would never have imagined that he would return.

Ni Qingfeng concealed his aura and silently sneaked into Zhongxin Hall. Following the guidance of the dragon pearl's aura, Ni Qingfeng arrived at the main hall. Without stopping, he looked at the golden light constantly flashing in his hand and his eyes flickered slightly.

"The Dragon Balls are nearby."

Arriving at a wall, Ni Qingfeng reached out and pressed his hand on it. A stream of true energy flowed across the stone wall, quickly finding the mechanism's hub. Realizing there was no one in the secret chamber, Ni Qingfeng flicked his right hand. The true energy that had entered the stone wall dispersed and covered the hub. With a few clicks, the stone wall slowly opened.

Upon seeing this, Ni Qingfeng leaped into the secret chamber and saw the three dragon pearls floating on the altar. Overjoyed, he reached out and grabbed them, and three dragon-shaped energies fell into his hand. With his goal achieved, Ni Qingfeng immediately took advantage of the fact that the secret chamber door was not yet closed and turned back like lightning. He then retrieved all the true energy that had entered the stone wall, cleaned up all traces, and in a few flashes, he had already left the main hall.

"Now that I have five Dragon Pearl energies, it is still not enough for me to open up a cave heaven and advance to the upper realm. Now, apart from the missing one, there are only the two in Cha Muxue's body and Lu Yi's body. It seems I have to go see him."

Lu Yi disappeared after leaving Mount Kongtong, but this was nothing to Ni Qingfeng. There was a Tianshan branch not far from Zhongxin Hall, where Tianshan disciples could help him search.

Just as Ni Qingfeng was about to leave, he suddenly had a thought, turned around and looked at a corner of the street, and said in a low voice, "Mr. Bi, following someone in the middle of the night is not the behavior of a gentleman."

Bi Yusheng emerged from the street corner, took a few quick steps, and bowed to Ni Qingfeng, saying, "Master Ni, Bi Yusheng greets you."

"I did not intentionally follow you, but rather discovered you by chance. That is why I am so presumptuous. Please forgive my rudeness."

As Ni Qingfeng left Zhongxin Hall, he was spotted by Biyusheng, who was also heading to Zhongxin Hall. Biyusheng had originally intended to find Shangguan Yun, but after a moment's hesitation, he chased after Ni Qingfeng. Biyusheng's supposedly unparalleled lightness skill paled in comparison to Ni Qingfeng's.

"Mr. Bi, please speak frankly. I have important matters to attend to and cannot keep you company."

Although Ni Qingfeng disliked Bi Yusheng's work, he knew that the man was not treacherous but rather kind-hearted and chivalrous. In the original storyline, he had helped the Tianshan Sect a great deal.

"Master Ni, I have only one question: Does the Tianshan Sect have any ambition to dominate the martial arts world?"

"Mr. Bi, you jest. The Tianshan Sect has always been peaceful and never actively antagonizes other sects. As for why we have expanded our strength recently, Mr. Bi, being an all-knowing scholar, you should be able to guess the reason. It is something we have to do. If the martial world is peaceful, the Tianshan Sect will remain in a corner. But if the fire spreads to the Tianshan Sect, we will not sit idly by and wait to be slaughtered. Mr. Bi, are you satisfied with this explanation?"

“I apologize for my presumption,” Bi Yusheng said. “Shangguan Yun is ambitious and intends to annex the martial arts world. This is by no means a blessing for the martial arts world. If things become irreversible in the future, Bi Yusheng is willing to contribute to the peace of the martial arts world. Farewell, Master Ni.”

After speaking, Bi Yusheng bowed to Ni Qingfeng again, then used his lightness skill to rush outwards, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

“This jade is quite interesting.” Ni Qingfeng shook his head, then turned and left.

Western Regions, Bailing Mountain
In a cave with flickering candlelight, a group of evil sect members were drinking merrily. At the head of the table was the White-Headed Eagle, the master of White Ridge Mountain. At this moment, he was radiant with health, and a spirited and vigorous aura was evident in his eyes.

"It was truly exhilarating to wipe out several sects of Mount Hua in one fell swoop. Yue Qianfeng was nothing special; when he encountered Brother Tang's Soul-Dispelling Water, he instantly turned into pus and blood. It's just a pity that his power couldn't be absorbed by me."

The speaker was dressed in a green robe, thin, with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face. His eyes were long and narrow, and his blue pupils were filled with an evil light. His voice was hoarse and unpleasant, making people's hearts tremble. This person was the "Green Robe Immortal" of the Three Gorges Beyond the Great Wall, and his martial arts skills were no less than those of the White-Headed Eagle.

"Old Green Monster, don't be so smug. Yue Qianfeng is not easy to deal with. If you hadn't been poisoned by the Soul-Dispelling Water beforehand, you might not have been able to defeat him. Besides, you drained the power of more than ninety people from the Emei Sect and they all died. What more could you want?"

The one who answered Green Robe Immortal was none other than the Living Yama of Hell's Gate. He looked at Green Robe Immortal with displeasure. You see, Emei was originally the target of Hell's Gate, but Green Robe Immortal interfered, which made him somewhat unhappy.

"You living Yama, I only absorbed your internal energy. All the treasures hidden in the Emei Sect have already fallen into your hands. I have already suffered a loss with only these things. Do you still want me to spit them out?"

The green-robed immortal snorted coldly and immediately retorted, while the others continued eating and drinking as if they hadn't heard anything. Seeing this, the white-headed eagle took the opportunity to smooth things over.

"Alright, you two are both grandmasters, don't hold a grudge like this and make yourselves a laughing stock in front of the people below. Now it's time for us to move on to the next step."

"Mountain Lord, do you perhaps already have a target?" someone below immediately chimed in.

“That’s right. Zhongxin Hall now occupies most of the martial arts world, and Tianshan Sect has also taken control of most of the Western Regions. If we want to make a name for ourselves in the future, we need to plan ahead.”

"White-haired man, just say it. As long as it's not about dealing with the Tianshan Sect or the Zhongxin Hall, I'll be the first to charge!"

Green Robe Immortal was currently at the height of his fighting spirit, and the Divine Art of Gathering Power he was practicing required a large amount of internal energy. There was no faster way than destroying a sect and its inhabitants.

However, Green Robe Immortal was not stupid. He knew who he couldn't mess with. Zhongxin Hall was a given, and Shangguan Yungui was the leader of the martial arts alliance, far beyond his reach. In addition, although he had never met Ni Qingfeng, he had learned a lot about this person's achievements from White-Headed Eagle, so he dared not cause trouble for him.

Shaolin Temple!

"What?! Shaolin Temple!"

The bald eagle uttered startling words, which truly terrified most of the people below.

Upon hearing this, Green Robe Immortal and Living Yama's expressions changed. They looked up at White-Headed Eagle, who said in a deep voice, "That's right, it is Shaolin Temple. If we want to quickly amass wealth, there is no temple richer than Shaolin Temple."

The Shaolin Temple receives a huge sum of money just from incense offerings, not to mention the real estate at the foot of the mountain and the various sects that depend on it, whose annual tributes are also substantial.

"White-haired man, although Shaolin Temple is closed off, it has a deep foundation. It's hard to guarantee that the temple won't have any hidden tricks up its sleeve. Although we have some skills, we are probably not enough to destroy Shaolin Temple. Since you have proposed this, do you have some kind of plan?"

Living Yama knew White-Headed Eagle to some extent. This man always planned his actions carefully before acting. He had only suffered a loss once at the hands of Ni Qingfeng. Looking at White-Headed Eagle's calm and composed demeanor, Living Yama secretly guessed that he must have considerable confidence.

"Although Shaolin Temple has closed its gates, it is not completely isolated from the world. It still needs to purchase its daily necessities. This is our opportunity. Brother Tang, I wonder if the poison has been successfully prepared?"

The white-headed eagle looked at Tang En and Tang De, who were seated on the left. Green Robe Immortal and the others all turned their gazes toward them. Upon seeing this, Tang En stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "Mountain Lord, rest assured, that medicine has been refined and can be used at any time. However, once this thing is sealed, it must be used within half an hour, otherwise its medicinal properties will be completely lost."

"Brother Tang, may I ask what kind of medicine is so powerful that it can deal with those monks from Shaolin Temple?"

Although Green Robe Immortal roamed freely beyond the Great Wall, he was still somewhat wary of Shaolin Temple. The abbot and the heads of the four academies were no ordinary people. He was truly surprised that Tang Clan could produce poison to deal with them.

"It is 'Extreme Bliss and Ease Powder,' which was developed by our uncle Meng Baichuan. Originally, it was a product for intimate pleasures, but my brother and I improved it by adding or removing a few ingredients, and that's how we got this product. Even a highly virtuous monk would find it hard to control himself if he touched a little bit of it, and in just a moment, he would be powerless."

After Tang En finished speaking, both the Green-Robed Immortal and the Living Yama looked at each other strangely, and then burst into laughter. When the two of them laughed, the rest of the people also laughed, and for a moment the cave was filled with wild laughter.

Seeing this, the white-headed eagle reached out and pressed down, saying in a deep voice, "Although Brother Tang and the others have created the Blissful and Carefree Powder, we cannot let our guard down. We still need to plan carefully."

"What the mountain lord said makes sense. Shaolin Temple has a profound foundation. If we cannot destroy it in one blow, it will surely hunt us down endlessly in the future."

“Master Lin is quite right. I have a suggestion. Since Shaolin Temple is closed, we should first eliminate its affiliated sects. If Shaolin Temple does not move, we can cut off its wings. If Shaolin Temple does move, we can send them to put out fires everywhere and deplete the temple’s strength. Then dealing with Shaolin Temple will be much easier.”

"Chief Wang, this is not a good idea. If we follow your advice, we will inevitably attract the attention of Shaolin Temple. Wouldn't that be like stirring up trouble? If you ask me, we should just focus all our efforts on dealing with Shaolin Temple. Once we've dealt with them, the rest of them won't be able to escape our grasp."

"..." "..."

Listening to the discussion below, the white-headed eagle nodded repeatedly, then looked at the green-robed immortal and the living Yama and asked, "What are your thoughts, sir?"

Upon hearing this, the Green-Robed Immortal pondered for a long while before slowly saying, "I think we should focus on dealing with Shaolin Temple. Our strength is already weak, and if we split up, it would be using our weaknesses to attack the enemy's strengths. I can't do such a losing business, you living Yama, what do you say?"

“Old Green Monster’s words are exactly what I think. White Head, we really shouldn’t split our strength any further. We should always have a backup plan in case of unforeseen circumstances. In particular, when dealing with Shaolin Temple, we can never be too cautious.”

Hearing that both Green Robe Immortal and Living Yama agreed to retake Shaolin Temple, the others gradually fell silent. White-haired Eagle glanced at Tang En and Tang De, and the two nodded to him. Then, White-haired Eagle raised his wine cup, stood up, and toasted the crowd below.

"Gentlemen, the fate of our evil sect rests on this moment."

Everyone stood up, raised their glasses, and said in unison, "We are willing to follow the mountain lord's wishes!"

After saying that, everyone drank the wine in their cups in one gulp and threw them on the ground with a thud.

The next day, the White-headed Eagle and his group disguised themselves and left the Western Regions in batches, heading east. Although they were quite careful, Gu Zhen of the Four Seas Inn received the news immediately. He felt that there must be something fishy about this matter, so he immediately sent a message to Tianshan by carrier pigeon.

Just as the White-Headed Eagle and his group were heading to Shaolin, the Tang Clan, far away in Sichuan, was facing a catastrophe.

The once-famous manor in Sichuan was now engulfed in flames. The fire, like a dragon's tongue, had completely consumed the vast estate, and the crimson glow could still be seen from miles away.

The plaque above the gate had been torn to pieces, and two corpses lay in front of the gate. The further one went in, the more corpses there were, and they were almost unrecognizable. At this moment, the sounds of fighting and screams, as well as the clash of weapons, could still be heard in the billowing black smoke.

Yue Sha looked at the six white-haired old men who came out and sneered, "The six elders of the Tang Clan, I didn't expect you to still be alive. Perfect, I'll send you all to your deaths together!"

These six elders of the Tang Clan were the great-uncles of Tang En and Tang De. Decades ago, they were famous throughout the martial arts world for their unique poison skills and a set of combined attack techniques, which made them quite a few enemies. It was thought that after decades, they would have long since passed away, but it turns out that they had gone into seclusion. Judging from their appearance, it seems that their combat power has not been greatly diminished.

"How arrogant! If Shangguan Yun were here in person, the six of us might be a little wary. But you two lackeys think you can destroy my Tang Clan? That's wishful thinking. Everything the Tang Clan has suffered today will be repaid in the future. Let's do it!"

Upon hearing Yue Sha's words, the leading elder's face hardened with frost. He sternly swung his iron staff forward, and the five elders beside him flashed, instantly surrounding the Sun and Moon Fiends. Seeing this, the Sun and Moon Fiends did not make a move. The leading elder snorted coldly, shifted his feet, and closed the last gap in the formation, thus fixing the flaw.

"We have long heard that the Six Harmonies Formation is unparalleled in its exquisite nature, and my brother and I have experienced it firsthand today."

The Sun and Moon Duo exchanged a glance, stood back to back, and stared coldly at the six elders. Qi vortexes gathered in their palms, and they launched the first attack. As soon as the two moved, the six elders of the Tang Clan immediately activated their formation. The six of them circled around them, their afterimages obscuring their true forms, forming a qi shield. The attacking palm qi collided with it and was instantly dispersed.

The moment the palm energy was broken, two sharp knives and two short spears simultaneously pierced towards the Sun and Moon Duo. The latter were immediately alarmed and channeled Yin and Yang energy into their palms. A thin layer of energy immediately appeared around the two of them, and the four weapons struck it as if they were sinking into a quagmire. Their figures were momentarily stunned. The elder in the lead saw this and thought to himself that something was wrong. He and another person hurriedly made their move, smashing an iron staff and a copper crutch at the front and back of the Sun and Moon Duo.

The Sun and Moon Duo not only neutralized the four's attacks with their Yin-Yang Refining Void technique, but also forced them to reveal their true forms. Just as the two were about to finish them off, the Iron Staff and the Copper Cudgel arrived simultaneously, whistling and gusting wind. The two immediately withdrew their palms, dodging the Iron Staff and Copper Cudgel, but this allowed the other four to stabilize and recover, and resume the formation.

"Haven't left Sichuan for many years. Are the younger generation all so capable now? They found the weakness of the formation so quickly."

The elder Tang Cong, the leader, felt a chill run down his spine. He wielded his iron staff with fierce power, and a black vortex shot towards the Sun and Moon Duo. Although he was a member of the Tang Clan, his most skilled martial art was the "Ruyi Qiankun Staff." This staff technique was expansive and powerful, and it was best suited for head-on combat. Once hit, the opponent would be crippled or even killed. However, this staff technique required continuous attacks, and its power would be greatly reduced if it was disrupted. Therefore, he practiced formations with his five brothers to maximize the advantages of the staff technique.

Seeing Tang Cong's staff technique becoming increasingly swift, the other five worked closely together, firmly locking down the space where the Sun and Moon Fiends were moving. Amidst the flashing blades, the dancing staff, and the rising palm energy, the circle of the Sun and Moon Fiends shrank continuously. Just two feet away from the two, Tang Cong let out a deep shout, and the iron staff struck the Moon Fiend with a whoosh.

As the iron staff struck, five more hidden weapons shot towards the two from different directions. The Sun and Moon Duo exchanged a smile upon seeing this, and then a scene that shocked Tang Cong and his companions unfolded. The Sun and Moon Duo clashed their palms together, and an invisible protective aura appeared out of thin air, shielding the two. The iron staff, striking with all its might, hummed incessantly upon hitting the protective aura shield. The shield bulged and contracted, and the iron staff bent and deformed instantly. With a whoosh, it was sent flying away at an even faster speed than it had come. With a ripping sound, Tang Cong was caught off guard and was pierced through the chest on the spot, pinned to the ruins. His eyes were wide open, and before he could breathe his last, he was blasted to obliterate his body by a thunderbolt.

"Big brother!"

Upon seeing Tang Cong's death, the other five cried out in grief. The formation had a flaw, which the Sun and Moon Duo seized upon, throwing out more than ten fire grenades. With a deafening roar, the spot was blasted into several deep craters, leaving only some mangled flesh and clothes, as well as a few weapons that had been partially melted.

"These fire grenades are really useful. Luckily, the hall master was prepared in advance, otherwise it would have taken a lot of effort to deal with these six old guys easily."

"Elders, I have already had the warehouse stored away properly."

"Hmm, what about the casualties?"

"Twelve people were injured and four died."

“Collect the bodies of the deceased brothers properly, bring them back to Zhongxin Hall for a proper burial, and take good care of their families as well.”

Yue Sha sighed slightly. These four were all top-notch elites of the Zhongxin Hall. The death of even one of them was a loss. If it weren't for the Tang Clan's endless stream of hidden weapons and poisons, the losses wouldn't have been so great.

"Let's go, the sect leader is waiting for us."

Watching the manor gradually engulfed by flames, the Sun and Moon Duo led the remaining people away quickly, driving dozens of carriages back towards Zhongxin Hall.

Tianshan, Hongyi Hall
Xue Wanshan looked at the message sent by Gu Zhen via carrier pigeon in his hand and pondered it. Then he summoned Shen Henian and Li Dengping to discuss it.

"Manager Gu sent a letter saying that the demons of Bailing Mountain have been mobilized in batches. I wonder what their purpose is? Second Brother, have you received any news from your side?"

"There is no news from any of the branch sects. Senior Brother Sect Leader, the demons of Bailing Mountain are out in force at this time. Could it be that they have their eyes on one of them? Otherwise, why are they acting so suspiciously? There must be a trap here."

"The White-headed Eagle is extremely ambitious. Now that our Tianshan Sect and Zhongxin Hall are facing each other, these demons are caught in the middle and must be having a very hard time. This is an alternative way out, so that we can either join the fray in the future or sit back and watch the tigers fight."

After reading the letter, Li Dengping pondered for a long time before slowly revealing his own insights.

“What Junior Sister thinks is exactly what worries me. The martial world is getting more and more chaotic. Second Junior Brother, keep a close eye on White-Headed Eagle and report any unusual movements as soon as possible. Third Junior Sister, pass on my order: all disciples should do their duties and not leave the mountain at will. They should diligently practice their martial arts in preparation for the battle to come.”

"I will obey the sect leader's order."

Outside the gate of Zhongxin Hall, a disheveled Taoist priest dressed in tattered hemp clothes, wearing straw sandals, carrying a long sword on his back and holding a wine gourd in his hand, looked at the plaque of Zhongxin Hall, took a sip of wine, and sneered.

"It's been many years since I last saw Zhongxintang, and it seems to be thriving even more now."

He took a step to go inside, but was stopped by the gatekeeper half a zhang away, who shouted, "Where did this beggar come from? This is not a place for you. Leave at once."

Upon hearing this, the slovenly Taoist stopped in his tracks, ignoring the two men, and called out towards the gate, "Shangguan Yun, my old friend Xuanwu has arrived, why don't you come out to greet him!"

(End of this chapter)