A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 296 Demon Extermination Alliance
Just as the Tianshan Sect received the news of the Shaolin Temple's destruction, Shangguan Yun's expression changed slightly upon receiving the news, followed by a look of joy.

"This ancient Shaolin Temple, with its thousand-year history, has been destroyed in a single day. Those evil demons and heretics dare to be so audacious, they simply don't take my Zhongxin Hall seriously. Riyue, immediately send letters to all the major sects, inviting them to my Zhongxin Hall to discuss the important matter of eliminating demons. Especially the Tianshan Sect, you two go there in person."

Shangguan Yun never considered that the Tianshan Sect might refuse. If the Tianshan Sect was unwilling to participate in the plan to eliminate demons, it would undoubtedly be cutting itself off from the righteous path. When the overwhelming power pressed down, the Tianshan Sect would surely collapse. If the Tianshan Sect came to participate, he could also see how strong their sect was.

This is an open conspiracy, and even if Xue Wanshan sees it, coming here is the only way he can go.

"Yes."

Upon hearing this, the Sun and Moon Duo descended and turned to leave. After the two left, Jiang Che entered, bowed to Shangguan Yun, and said solemnly, "Hall Master, our men have discovered the whereabouts of Xuanwu Shangren in Guhe City. He seems to be looking for someone. I am afraid of alerting him, so I have instructed the people monitoring him not to make any rash moves."

“Well done, but this matter should be put on hold for now. Have your subordinates keep a close watch and report back daily. We’ll make further plans once I’m free.”

The ancient city of Guhe was quite far from Zhongxin Hall. After pondering for a while, Shangguan Yun decided to temporarily give up on causing trouble for him, as the thousand-year accumulation of Shaolin Temple was the most important thing.

"Yes, I obey."

Jiang Che bowed again and then turned to leave.

On Mount Bailing, a group of demons gathered together and divided up the treasures they had stolen from Shaolin Temple. However, the most precious items had already been placed in front of the three, including the White-Headed Eagle.

"Old Green Monster, this box is yours." The white-headed eagle pointed to a wooden box about half a person's height and looked at the green-robed immortal.

Upon hearing this, the Green-Robed Immortal nodded and, with a flick of his finger, opened the wooden box. Inside, various medicinal herbs were scattered haphazardly, and a fragrant aroma wafted out. A glint of light flashed in the Green-Robed Immortal's eyes upon seeing this.

"Blood Ginseng and Jade Aperture Ganoderma, very good. With just these two items, it's not a waste for this old immortal to have come all this way. White-haired, living Yama, this old immortal will not be polite."

The green-robed immortal casually flipped through the pages and saw the blood-red ginseng and the snow-white, luminous lingzhi. He was overjoyed. The former was a supreme treasure for replenishing blood and qi, and the latter was a superior treasure for expanding meridians. Their value was immeasurable.

"With these two things, the old immortal has a good chance of reaching the innate realm."

Overjoyed, the green-robed immortal closed the wooden box and had it delivered to his residence. After exchanging a few more words with the two white-haired men, he left in a hurry.

“White Head, you know that the old monster has greatly improved his skills, so why did you still hand over such a precious thing to him? Once the old monster’s skills improve, be careful that White Ridge Mountain will change hands.”

Before, the Living Yama was wary of the Green-Robed Immortal, but now he was somewhat afraid, fearing that one day this old monster would drain his inner strength. After all, for the members of their evil sect, everything had to be for their own benefit.

"Living Yama, don't you understand yet? The news of Shaolin Temple's destruction can't be kept secret. It's only a matter of time. Now, apart from our two families, who still have some relationship, everyone else is here for profit. They may seem strong this morning, but when faced with external pressure, I guarantee they'll run faster than anyone else."

"I suspect that Zhongxin Hall will not sit idly by and will definitely come to attack Bailing Mountain. Even if our two families can hold off Zhongxin Hall, we will suffer heavy losses. It would be better to let these people work for us. If we succeed, all the better. If we fail, we can still weaken Zhongxin Hall and greatly benefit our next move."

Upon hearing this, the Living Yama understood and said in a deep voice, "You're strongly supporting Green Robe because you're plotting against Shangguan Yun, aren't you? But Green Robe is a smart man, he..."

Before the Living Yama could finish speaking, the White-Headed Eagle said, "The Green Robe is now eager to obtain the Innate Realm. Even if I have some schemes, he will just pretend not to know. If he becomes an Innate Realm cultivator, he will naturally have the power to speak and will look down on us. If he fails, this is White Ridge Mountain, and it is not his place to act recklessly here!"

“That’s right. If that’s the case, then when Zhongxin Hall makes a move, distribute my share according to the size of their contributions. With these things in front of them, they will have no choice but to work hard for us wholeheartedly.”

The Living Yama's eyes flickered slightly as he plotted in his mind. Upon hearing this, the white-haired man paused for a moment, then chuckled and nodded.

Just then, Duan Cheng, a disciple of the White-Headed Eagle, suddenly entered, bowed to the white-headed eagle, and said in a deep voice, "Master, news just came that the Tang Clan has been destroyed by the Zhongxin Hall. Elders Tang En and Tang De, along with a dozen or so disciples they brought, are the last bloodline of the Tang Clan!"

"what!"

The white-headed eagle and the living Yama exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing a solemn expression.

"When did this happen?"

"Around the time we attacked Shaolin, the Tang Clan was caught off guard, and the entire manor was reduced to a wasteland. Centuries of accumulation were wiped out. Elders Tang En and Tang De fainted upon hearing the news."

"Go and take a look. Go and calm down those Tang Clan disciples and make sure they don't cause any trouble."

"Yes, disciple understands."

The white-headed eagle hurriedly walked out, and the living Yama followed closely behind. Soon, the two arrived at a luxuriously decorated grotto. Tang En and Tang De, who had been unconscious, had regained consciousness, but their faces were extremely pale, especially Tang De, whose face was ashen, his eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was disheveled, making him look like a demon. When the two white-headed eagles came, Tang De seemed to have no reaction.

"You two have arrived. Please excuse my poor appearance. My fourth brother has suffered too much shock, to the point that he is somewhat delirious."

Tang En gave the two white-haired men a bitter smile and shook his head. He and his brother were fighting for the future of the Tang Clan, but they were caught off guard when the Zhongxin Hall destroyed their stronghold. In the midst of this great joy and sorrow, Tang De went insane. If Tang En hadn't controlled him with acupuncture in time, who knows what kind of trouble he would have caused.

"Elder Tang, please accept my condolences. I have only just heard of this news myself. The Zhongxin Hall attacked the Tang Clan without uttering a word, which is utterly despicable. However, Brother Tang, rest assured, Bailing Mountain will not stand idly by and will definitely help you avenge this blood feud!"

Upon hearing this, Tang En's spirits lifted, and he stood up and solemnly bowed to the white-headed eagle. "I am already deeply grateful for the words of the Mountain Lord. However, we must be cautious in dealing with the Zhongxin Hall. The strength of our Tang Clan is not weak. If they could be so easily destroyed, then the strength of the Zhongxin Hall must be terrifying."

Tang En knew the strength within the manor. Leaving aside the various traps and hidden weapons, the five elders of the Tang Clan were all top-tier experts. Adding the assassins in the manor, Zhongxin Hall would need at least a large number of people to deal with them. By a rough calculation, there were at least five top-tier experts and around fifty other experts. This was already a very large force.

Upon hearing this, the white-headed eagle nodded in agreement, saying, "Brother Tang is quite right. However, if we want to deal with Zhongxin Hall, the present moment is an excellent opportunity. Are you interested, Brother Tang?"

"Please speak, Lord Mountain Lord."

Tang En's eyes lit up, and Tang De, who was standing next to him, also stared over. Seeing this, the white-headed eagle waved his hand to dismiss the others, and soon only the four of them remained in the cave.

Half an hour later, the white-headed eagle and the living Yama emerged from the cave. They exchanged a smile and then went their separate ways.

Three days later, in the Hongyi Hall of the Tianshan Sect, Xue Wanshan and his three companions watched the Sun and Moon Twin Fiends enter with indifferent expressions. As soon as the Moon Fiend entered the hall, he felt a powerful aura approaching him. He immediately concealed his aura, and the aura disappeared as well.

"You two have come from afar and must be tired from your journey. May I ask what business Master Shangguan has sent you two on?"

Xue Wanshan sat calmly on the wooden chair, while Shen Henian bowed to the Sun and Moon Duo. The two exchanged greetings, and the Moon Duo took out a gold-embossed invitation card, handed it forward, and solemnly said: "Shaolin Temple was destroyed by the White-Headed Eagle and his gang of evil spirits a few days ago. The Hall Master is furious. Therefore, he has issued a martial arts summons, sincerely inviting all members of the Tianshan Sect to the Zhongxin Hall to discuss the matter of exorcising the demons. The time is set for five days from now, and the location is the Zhongxin Hall West Ridge Branch."

Shen Henian glanced at the invitation, then reached out and took it. He walked to Xue Wanshan's side and presented the invitation. Xue Wanshan took it, glanced at it briefly, and closed it. He then said in a deep voice, "This is the proper thing to do. Since Hall Master Shangguan has extended a sincere invitation, our sect will certainly not be absent. Please convey to Hall Master Shangguan that the Tianshan Sect will send someone to attend."

Upon hearing this, Yue Sha breathed a sigh of relief. Since Xue Wanshan had verbally agreed, the matter was settled. He immediately said, "I will certainly convey the message. Sect Leader Xue, everyone, see you another day. Farewell."

With that, the Sun and Moon Duo bowed to everyone and turned to leave. Xue Wanshan then said, "Junior Brother Ni, see the guests off for me." Ni Qingfeng said yes, then turned to the Sun and Moon Duo and invited them to leave. The two men's expressions changed slightly, but they quickly composed themselves. Ni Qingfeng escorted the two men to the outside of the mountain gate before returning.

"Senior brother, Zhongxin Hall's actions are definitely malicious. They claim to be inviting all the major sects, but in reality, only our Tianshan Sect has real strength. Isn't this deliberately targeting us?"

Shen Henian's face darkened. Shangguan Yun had taken the position of leader of the martial arts alliance and raised the banner of eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path. Even if the Tianshan Sect was at odds with the Zhongxin Hall, it could not refuse him, otherwise it would affect the reputation of the Tianshan Sect.

"This is an open strategy. Shangguan Yun correctly guessed that the Tianshan Sect would send someone. However, this may not be a bad thing. If we can take this opportunity to let those wavering sects see the strength of our Tianshan Sect, it will be a significant blow to the Zhongxin Hall."

Furthermore, Zhongxin Hall wants to see how strong our Tianshan Sect is; conversely, we can also see the strength of Zhongxin Hall. This time, we'll send our second and fourth junior brothers. Also, Tianjiao and the others have already perfected their sword formation, so this is a good opportunity for them to broaden their horizons.

When Shen Henian heard that he and Ni Qingfeng were to go to Zhongxin Hall, he was first taken aback, then breathed a sigh of relief. In any case, with his fourth junior brother there, the trip should be safe. However, he wondered if it was inappropriate for his senior brother to send Tianjiao and the others out of the mountain as well.

"Senior brother, Tianjiao and the others..."

Before Shen Henian could finish speaking, Xue Wanshan waved his hand to stop him. He flicked his whisk, stood up and took a few steps. Looking at the disciples practicing swordsmanship in the square outside the hall, he said in a deep voice, "How can one grow without undergoing a baptism? This is a rare opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Li Dengping said, "What the sect leader said makes sense. In that case, junior sister should also select a few disciples to go down the mountain with second senior brother and the others. They can see the world and avoid becoming arrogant if they stay on the mountain for too long."

The Tianshan Sect is a behemoth in the Western Regions. When Tianshan disciples travel in the Western Regions, various forces have to give them some face. The older disciples are fine, neither humble nor arrogant, showing the chivalrous style of Tianshan disciples. However, the newly joined disciples are somewhat arrogant and conceited, showing signs of being all talk and no action.

Upon hearing this, Xue Wanshan smiled and nodded, then looked at Shen Henian and said, "Second Junior Brother, you must be careful this time when you go down the mountain. If you encounter any difficulties, send a message immediately by carrier pigeon."

Xue Wanshan wasn't afraid of Zhongxintang taking direct action; his only concern was that Zhongxintang might resort to underhanded tactics. Although Shen Henian was skilled in martial arts and had considerable experience in the martial world, he was, after all, Zhongxintang's trump card, making him impossible to guard against. No amount of caution was too much.

"Don't worry, Sect Leader. Junior Brother knows what he's doing and will make sure all disciples return to the mountain safely."

Upon hearing this, Xue Wanshan sighed inwardly, but his expression remained impassive.

"Senior brother, I'll go down and prepare first."

Knowing that Xue Wanshan had something to tell Ni Qingfeng, Shen Henian bowed and turned to leave. Li Dengping also bowed and followed Shen Henian. At this moment, only Xue Wanshan and Ni Qingfeng remained in the hall, and the hall became quiet for a moment.

"Does Senior Brother Sect Leader have anything else to say?"

Ni Qingfeng broke the silence by looking at Xue Wanshan, whose face was solemn.

"Junior brother, you should know that Xuanwu, the leader of the Diancang Sect, has appeared. I originally thought he was already dead, but his sudden appearance at this time is quite strange. He also participated in the Battle of Qilian Mountain back then and had some connections with Shangguan Yun. What if..."

Xue Wanshan frowned, puzzled. This Xuanwu Master was no ordinary person. More than ten years ago, he was already a top martial arts expert. Who knew how far his martial arts had progressed in the past ten years? If he were to become an enemy of the Tianshan Sect, it would be a considerable problem.

"Senior brother was troubled by this matter, but there is really no need for that. Not to mention that the Diancang Sect was destroyed by Shangguan Yun, just the fact that Shangguan Yun wanted to seize the Dragon Pearl means that Xuanwu would not stand with him. Senior brother may not know that Xuanwu once went to Zhongxin Hall and was later rescued. Based on this alone, junior brother can conclude that Shangguan Yun and Xuanwu have already broken off relations."

"Is there such a thing?"

Xue Wanshan was slightly taken aback. Since the news came from his fourth junior brother, its authenticity was beyond doubt, and he did not bother to trace its source.

"If that's the case, then I'm relieved. Fourth Junior Brother, although Second Junior Brother is leading the team down the mountain this time, I still need you to take care of the safety of those disciples."

"Of course, Senior Brother, don't worry. I can't guarantee they won't get hurt, but I promise none of them will die!"

Ni Qingfeng's confident words reassured Xue Wanshan. With a master of innate strength in charge, things could be kept under control.

On the other side, Shen Henian called his disciple Cheng Feng over and asked him to prepare items for the trip down the mountain. Cheng Feng looked puzzled but did not dare to ask any questions. Just as he was about to leave, Shen Henian said to him, "This trip down the mountain is at the invitation of Zhongxin Hall to discuss how to deal with Bai Tou Lao Ying and his group. Prepare more wound medicine and rejuvenation pills."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Feng took a deep breath, said "Yes," and quickly left.

Three days later, at the foot of Tianshan Mountain, Xue Wanshan and Li Dengping watched Ni Qingfeng and the others leave.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, the fact that Zhongxin Hall has made such a grand display of its banners must be known to White-Haired Eagle and the others. Once a battle breaks out, there will be countless casualties. Although Junior Brother Ni's martial arts are not weak, I am still somewhat worried."

"With Junior Brother Ni here, Junior Sister, rest assured. Fourth Junior Brother also led the disciples to wipe out the Evil Ghost Cave before. He's become more experienced with this, so it should be easier for him to deal with it. Although Shangguan Yun has some scheming, he won't rashly attack our sect before he cripples White-Headed Eagle and his group. Otherwise, he'll be attacked from both sides, and he can't afford that price."

Hearing Xue Wanshan's words, Li Dengping finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fourth Junior Brother, the Xiling branch of Zhongxin Hall is only a hundred miles away from our Tianshan. Even if we are delayed by a day, we can still arrive on time. Why do we need to arrive a day earlier?"

"Second Senior Brother, although the Xiling Branch is very close to Tianshan, we have never been there before. We are going there in advance to find out the surrounding situation, so that we won't be lost and unable to find our way. If Zhongxin Hall manages to scheme against us, we two will be fine, but I'm afraid it will harm the disciples."

Shen Henian nodded in agreement upon hearing this explanation, "Junior Brother is indeed very thoughtful. It was Senior Brother's oversight."

Ni Qingfeng had another reason for letting the Tianshan Sect set off ahead of time: once they arrived, he could first go to the Sihai Inn to find out what was going on, and perhaps even go up Bailing Mountain to see the white-headed eagle.

While the Tianshan Sect group was on their way, the Zhongxin Hall, led by Shangguan Yun, set off in a grand procession of several hundred people towards the Western Regions. Various forces along the way followed far behind, waiting for them to destroy Bailing Mountain and pick up the scraps.

"Master, this is a message from Elder Sun and Moon." Jiang Che handed a miniature bamboo tube to Shangguan Yun, who took it, took out the note inside, read it, crushed the note, and sent it drifting away on the wind.

"Pass down the order: speed up! We must reach the Xiling branch by tomorrow!"

"Yes!"

Jiang Che turned his horse around and shouted loudly to those behind him, "Speed ​​up!"

In no time, the speed of the hundreds of people's advance suddenly increased.

On Bailing Mountain, the white-headed eagle glanced at the report in his hand, then handed it to the Living Yama. After reading it, the latter's expression darkened slightly, and he handed it to the Green-Robed Immortal.

"Shangguan Yun, the leader of the martial arts alliance, does have considerable influence, but apart from the Tianshan Sect, which is somewhat noteworthy, the rest are all worthless and easily defeated."

"Old Green Monster, did you see clearly who the people from the Tianshan Sect are? Ni Qingfeng, this is not someone to be trifled with. Back then, Shenhuo Shangren died at his hands, and the deaths of Tang Sen and Tang Yong were also his doing. This person's martial arts are even better than Shangguan Yun's, making him an extremely troublesome opponent."

(End of this chapter)