A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 308 Fight again
Shangguan Yun activated the Dragon Pearl, and with a single strike, he severely injured the Black and White Heroes. The two, pale-faced, leaned on their swords and stood up, staring in horror at the Dragon Pearl that shimmered with golden light.

"So the Dragon Ball ended up in your hands. No wonder your martial arts have improved so quickly."

Lu Aotian sighed, then his expression hardened. He gathered the remaining true energy in his body, preparing to fight to the death. Lu Fengming sensed the change in her husband's aura and also silently circulated her true energy, coldly watching Shangguan Yun.

"Now that things have come to this, you two still refuse to submit? In that case, you may go to hell!"

Shangguan Yun roared and poured his true energy into the Dragon Pearl. The Dragon Pearl flashed with golden light and a dazzling golden ball rushed towards Lu Aotian and his wife. A desolate and murderous power filled the entire hall.

Upon seeing this, Lu Aotian and his wife exchanged a glance and shouted in unison. The two swords combined, and a black and white sword light slashed like lightning, heading straight for the ball of light. The sword light and the ball of light collided and were only locked in a stalemate for half a breath before the sword light was dispersed. The ball of light continued its momentum and was about to hit the two when suddenly two clear sword energies flew in from outside. One went straight for the ball of light, and the other stood in front of the black and white swordsmen.

"This is?"

Lu Aotian and his wife thought their lives were in danger, but unexpectedly, a sudden change occurred. At that moment, the sword energy collided with the dragon pearl light ball, and they exploded instantly. Everything around them was shattered by the shockwave, and a loud buzzing sound rang out. The palace door was smashed open by the enormous force, and Lu Aotian and his wife were also shaken so badly that their blood and qi surged, and their bodies flew several feet. After dissipating the force in mid-air, they landed and coughed up several mouthfuls of blood before finally expelling the pent-up anger from their chests.

"Ni Qingfeng!"

Shangguan Yun recognized the person the moment the sword energy appeared. With both old and new grudges settled, Shangguan Yun roared in fury and his figure moved instantly, flying out of the main hall in the blink of an eye, looking at the familiar figure on the square.

"Master Ni."

Lu Aotian took a few breaths and was relieved to see that it was Ni Qingfeng who had made the move.

"You two are seriously injured. Here are two pills that I have refined. If you don't mind, please take them."

Ni Qingfeng tossed a porcelain bottle to Lu Aotian, who hurriedly caught it, uncorked it, and smelled it. He was immediately invigorated and, without saying a word, poured out a red pill and swallowed it. Lu Aotian felt a warm current flowing through his meridians, and in just a few breaths, he felt that his true energy had been restored considerably.

"Thank you, Taoist Master."

Lu Aotian glanced at Shangguan Yun who was walking over, then at Ni Qingfeng who had a calm expression, and hurriedly went to Lü Fengming's side, handing her the remaining pill and nodding to her.

Seeing this, Lü Fengming reached out and took it, then put it in his mouth. Lu Aotian's expression changed several times after seeing the Sun and Moon Duo appear with several people, and he stood in front of Lü Fengming.

"Ni Qingfeng, you are very good."

Shangguan Yun waved his hand, and the Sun and Moon Duo immediately surrounded the three people in the square with their men.

"The Black and White Heroes are renowned for their chivalry throughout the martial arts world. As the leader of the martial arts alliance, Master Shangguan is so ruthless. Could it be that he adheres to the philosophy of 'those who obey me prosper, those who defy me perish'? Such thinking is extremely dangerous. Master Shangguan should be cautious, or he will surely suffer a backlash in the future."

Ni Qingfeng didn't even look at those people. He took a few steps forward, looked calmly at Shangguan Yun, and glanced at the dragon pearl floating in the air.

"I would rather destroy what I cannot have than leave it to others as an obstacle to me. Ni Qingfeng, human strength has its limits. Today, I will show you the true power of the Dragon Ball."

Shangguan Yun was determined to kill Ni Qingfeng here. With a deep shout, the dragon pearl floating in front of him shone brightly and turned into a dazzling golden cloud. Only the center point was blackish-purple. After a few breaths, the golden cloud suddenly shrank and then expanded. Countless golden arrows shot out from it and attacked the three people in the arena.

"Condensing light into a beam, turning the illusory into the real!"

When Lu Aotian saw that Shangguan Yun could use such a method, his heart sank. This Yin-Yang transformation method already had the faint shadow of the Innate Realm. Although Shangguan Yun used it with the help of the Dragon Pearl, he dared to say that in just a few months, Shangguan Yun would be able to step into the Innate Realm.

As the golden arrow of light hurtled towards him, Lu Aotian glanced at Lü Fengming, who was still refining the medicinal power, and held his longsword horizontally in his hand, ready to strike at any moment.

"Well done."

When Ni Qingfeng saw that Shangguan Yun could use this move, his eyes lit up, and his hands moved quickly. Just as the golden arrow of light rushed towards him, he raised his true energy, and his sleeves fluttered. A cyan gale swirled around the tornado, and a powerful suction force immediately enveloped the entire area. The people of Zhongxin Hall surrounding the outer area were all unsteady and kept moving towards the tornado. The Sun and Moon Duo were also in great pain at this moment. Seeing this, they made a decisive move. The two of them pressed their palms together, and a transparent energy shield fixed them in place. However, the rest of the people were not so lucky.

More than ten people were lifted into the air and swept into the gale. The golden light arrow was also pulled in, and screams of agony followed one after another. Shangguan Yun's face was extremely ugly. Seeing that the move had failed, he pushed with both hands. The golden light suddenly receded, and the dragon pearl flashed and entered the blue gale. Then, with an explosion, the gale was torn apart by the force, and blood rained down from the sky. The center of the square became pitted and cratered, and waves of air continued to spread in all directions, sweeping away everything in its path.

Ni Qingfeng's expression hardened slightly, and a layer of energy rose around him, enveloping not only himself but also Lu Aotian and his wife.

"Shangguan Yun is deeply rooted in demonic cultivation, and the power he wields with the Dragon Pearl has already surpassed that of Cha Mulong."

Cha Mulong had witnessed the power of the Dragon Pearl when he dealt with Shangguan Yun, but compared to him today, Cha Mulong was more domineering and less moderate and peaceful.

With a flick of his sleeve, Shangguan Yun swept away the surging wave of energy. He then reached out and the dragon pearl landed in his hand, shimmering with golden light. That attack was arguably the strongest move Shangguan Yun could unleash using the dragon pearl. If even that couldn't suppress Ni Qingfeng...

"Unless he is already a master of innate level."

As Shangguan Yun thought to himself, he stared intently at the billowing dust. A flash of crimson light appeared on his hand, and as the dust settled, Shangguan Yun's pupils contracted slightly. Then, his eyes sharpened, and he unleashed a powerful palm strike with his right hand. A crimson-gold palm print broke through the dissipating dust and struck the figure in the center. At the same time, the dragon pearl in his left hand was once again thrown outwards.

Upon seeing the incoming Golden Splitting Palm, Ni Qingfeng raised his palm and slashed. A white light flashed, and the Golden Splitting Palm energy instantly split in two, turning into nothingness. Just then, the Dragon Pearl flashed with golden light and struck. As Ni Qingfeng tried to reach out to grab it, the object was extremely intelligent and dodged around it.

Seeing that the Dragon Ball had captured Ni Qingfeng's attention, Shangguan Yun gave a wink to the Sun and Moon Duo, who had narrowly escaped death. The two nodded in response and looked at the Black and White Duo with unfriendly expressions.

"Be careful."

Ni Qingfeng reminded the two, and with a clear ringing of his longsword, he moved swiftly, slashing horizontally. With a clang, the longsword struck the dragon pearl, and a blinding light suddenly appeared. Ni Qingfeng immediately felt the force of the recoil from the longsword in his hand. Instead of retreating, he advanced and continued to slash. A three-inch sword light appeared at the tip of the longsword and suddenly stabbed at the dragon pearl as its light faded. Then, the dragon pearl seemed to be severely injured, its light dimmed, and it fell downwards.

Upon seeing this, Shangguan Yun's expression changed. He reached out and retrieved the Dragon Pearl. Then, he leaped into the air and unleashed two Golden Palms from his hands, attacking Ni Qingfeng from the left and right. Ni Qingfeng, seeing the palm winds coming, neither dodged nor avoided. With a flick of his wrist, his longsword rang out with a clear dragon's roar, splitting into four sword lights that struck the two palm energies squarely. Two of the sword lights canceled out the palm energies, while the remaining two continued their momentum, attacking Shangguan Yun.

"The Splitting Light and Separating Sword!"

Shangguan Yun cried out in surprise and anger, and then unleashed two more palm strikes. However, he was a step behind. Although his palm strikes blocked most of the sword light, some of the force still pierced the protective aura, tearing a thin crack in it.

This Split Light Separation Sword is the signature sword technique of the Tianshan Sect and the origin of all Tianshan sword techniques. For example, the Tianshan Seven Absolute Swords evolved from the splitting of sword light. It was because this sword technique was so profound that it was later split into seven different sword techniques. With the combined efforts of seven people, they could barely use three-tenths of the true meaning of this sword technique.

Before Shangguan Yun could react, Ni Qingfeng lightly touched the ground with his toes, thrusting his longsword forward to stab Shangguan Yun in the left chest. The latter felt the piercing chill and retreated several feet, almost forced back to the edge of the plaza. Shangguan Yun let out a deep shout, his hands suddenly blazing with crimson gold. He clamped the gleaming sword between his bare hands, trying to break it. But at that moment, Shangguan Yun felt a chilling force emanating from the sword, a force even his crimson gold palms couldn't withstand. He knew something was wrong and immediately tried to let go, but Ni Qingfeng, having finally lured him in, wasn't about to let him escape so easily. "Drink!"

Suddenly, a layer of frost covered the gleaming sword blade, spreading forward and covering Shangguan Yun's hands in the blink of an eye. He was immediately alarmed and hurriedly circulated his inner energy. White smoke rose, and Shangguan Yun's hands returned to normal. However, the frost continued to relentlessly climb up. In just a few breaths, Shangguan Yun's inner energy was rapidly depleted, already losing half of it.

“What kind of Kung Fu is this!”

Shangguan Yun gritted his teeth and then used his mind to communicate with the other two dragon balls hidden on his body. A warm current flowed into his body, and the coldness immediately disappeared. Shangguan Yun was secretly delighted, but on his face he still looked like he was about to collapse.

Ni Qingfeng was very perceptive, and upon seeing Shangguan Yun's appearance, he immediately understood what was going on.

"If that's the case, then I'll play along and see what the Dragon Ball is capable of."

The longsword flashed with cold light, and the frost spread like wildfire, reaching Shangguan Yun's arms and almost reaching his chest. Ni Qingfeng was overjoyed and suddenly added his true energy, wanting to seal Shangguan Yun's acupoints in one fell swoop.

"good chance!"

Shangguan Yun felt the frost spreading at an accelerated speed. A glint flashed in his eyes, and he roared angrily. To Ni Qingfeng's disbelief, Shangguan Yun suddenly withdrew his longsword, which then pierced into Shangguan Yun's left shoulder. Shangguan Yun gathered his true energy and, taking advantage of the moment when the opponent's longsword was locked, struck Ni Qingfeng with a palm. At the same time, the two dragon pearls in his arms shot out rapidly under his control, as fast as lightning and as powerful as the collapse of the sky. If one were hit by these objects, even if one did not die, one would be seriously injured.

Shangguan Yun could already foresee the scene of Ni Qingfeng being pierced through the heart by the Dragon Pearl. As long as this person died, the Tianshan Sect would be rid of a formidable enemy, and Xue Wanshan alone would no longer be a threat.

"It's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive at the right moment. Ni Qingfeng was too arrogant. He deserves this calamity this time!"

As if he had already anticipated the miserable state of his opponent, Shangguan Yun did not feel the pain in his left shoulder. However, after seeing Ni Qingfeng's indifferent eyes, Shangguan Yun suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. Sure enough, what happened next made his pupils shrink and his face show horror.

Before the golden palm strike could reach him, it was shattered by Ni Qingfeng's protective aura. The two dragon pearls were no ordinary objects, possessing both strength and speed. The aura only lasted for half a breath before being broken. However, when the dragon pearls were about a foot away from Ni Qingfeng, they seemed to be stuck in the mud, just spinning around and unable to advance any further.

"How is this possible!"

Shangguan Yun shouted and withdrew. His true energy surged and poured into the dragon pearl. Although the dragon pearl was flashing with golden light and humming incessantly, after a few breaths, the golden light slowly subsided and finally turned into a dark, round object floating in mid-air.

Just as Ni Qingfeng reached out to collect the Dragon Pearl, he suddenly had a thought. He glanced at Shangguan Yun, then his figure flashed and he arrived beside the Black and White Duo, forcing back the Sun and Moon Duo with a palm strike and a sword strike.

Seeing Ni Qingfeng leave, Shangguan Yun hurriedly retrieved the Dragon Pearl, but upon seeing the Sun and Moon retreating backward, his eyes instantly turned sinister.

"Ni Qingfeng, you must die today!"

At this point, Shangguan Yun knew that Ni Qingfeng had already entered the Innate Realm. Shangguan Yun would absolutely not allow such an opponent to leave Zhongxin Hall alive.

A strange whistle rang out, and suddenly the plaza split open, revealing a stepped entrance to everyone's view. The Black and White Heroes immediately became alert and stared intently, while the Sun and Moon Duo were also puzzled, as they had never known there was such a secret passage in the plaza.

Ni Qingfeng became interested upon seeing this. There were several powerful auras in the secret passage, but they all exuded a sense of gloom. Shangguan Yun reached out and clapped his hands. Four figures walked out of the secret passage one after another, moved their feet, lowered their heads slightly, and knelt in front of Shangguan Yun, like servants.

Shangguan Yun muttered a few words, and the four people stood up, turned around, and their eyes lit up instantly. The Sun and Moon Duo exchanged a glance, and both felt a chill in their hearts. This was clearly the long-lost forbidden technique, "Soul-Stealing Demonic Sound".

"Twilight Rain Sword, Xiao Shengbai!"

Lu Aotian looked at the middle-aged man in white, with a cold expression, sword-like eyebrows, and a long sword on his back, and murmured.

"The Daoist Lichen!"

Ni Qingfeng looked up and saw a tall, thin Taoist priest with a dark face, wearing a tattered Taoist robe and holding a whisk in his hand.

"'Vajra' Xue Xiao, 'Illusion Demon', issue the order!"

Lu Fengming looked at the burly middle-aged man and the refined scholar holding a red umbrella with a look of horror.

Upon hearing these names, Ni Qingfeng's eyes flickered slightly. Xiao Shengbai was a master from the now-extinct Luofu Sword Sect. He was attacked by various sects after he harmed martial artists by refining blood pills and was seriously injured and disappeared. Although Li Chen Daoren was a rogue cultivator, he was extremely skilled in using the Demon-Subduing Heavenly Net, and the silver silk whisk in his hand was a superior weapon, comparable to the Xuan Tie Sword. As for Li Jingang and Huan Mo, they were both demonic masters from many years ago. One was incredibly strong, and the other was skilled in illusion techniques.

“Master Ni, it seems that these four people have been controlled by Shangguan Yun using evil magic. There are very few martial arts in the world that can deal with such a master. Meng Baichuan’s Mind Control Technique is one of them, and there is also the Soul-Stealing Demonic Sound, which has been lost in the martial arts world. This is a martial art that is even more terrifying than the Mind Control Technique. Those who are hit by this move will be controlled by the caster for life.”

Ni Qingfeng nodded upon hearing this. This Soul-Stealing Demonic Sound was quite interesting. He hadn't expected Shangguan Yun to have such a method. Fortunately, he had been forced to reveal it today. Otherwise, if they were to face each other in the future, they might be caught off guard and suffer a surprise attack.

"Gentlemen, you should leave here first. I am capable of protecting myself."

Although these people were filled with deathly aura, their combat strength should not be underestimated. In addition, with Shangguan Yun watching them from the side, I might not be able to keep an eye on Lu Aotian and his wife all the time.

Upon hearing this, Lu Aotian didn't say anything pretentious. He bowed to Ni Qingfeng and then flew away with Lü Fengming. Seeing Lu Aotian and his wife leave, Shangguan Yun snorted coldly. Riyue was already seriously injured, and it would be pointless for anyone else to go up and die. The most important thing now was to deal with Ni Qingfeng.

At Shangguan Yun's command, Xiao Shengbai, the "Twilight Rain Sword," turned his eyes black, drew his long sword from his back, and with a push of his feet, his body suddenly soared into the air. A crimson sword light descended from the sky, aiming straight for Ni Qingfeng's brow. Just as Xiao Shengbai made his move, the three people beside him, including Li Chen Dao Ren, also acted at the same time.

The three Daoist Lichen surrounded Ni Qingfeng in a triangle formation. Daoist Lichen waved his whisk, and three thousand silver threads burst forth, whistling like countless silver stars, attempting to seal off the space around Ni Qingfeng. "Vajra Power" Xue Xiao roared, and the sonic waves attacked Ni Qingfeng's mind. Then, "Illusion Demon" commanded the red umbrella in his hand to open, and the colorful ribbons hidden inside suddenly scattered. As the red umbrella continued to rotate, colorful ribbons appeared in Ni Qingfeng's eyes.

"So what if they are innate masters? Even an innate master would perish if these four joined forces."

Seeing the four attacking at once, Shangguan Yun praised them without hesitation. Ni Qingfeng remained calm as the four killing moves came at the same time. He grabbed Xiao Shengbai's full-force sword with his left hand and held it firmly. Then, a huge force came from the sword and flung it forward, sending Xiao Shengbai flying several feet.

Before the silver whisk even reached him, a flash of crimson light appeared on the Xuan Tie sword. With a single swing, the myriad silver stars were instantly stained crimson. In less than half a breath, some of the silver threads had melted away. Then, Ni Qingfeng swept his sleeve and sent a gust of wind through the air. With a bang, Daoist Li Chen followed suit and slid backward.

After defeating Xiao Shengbai and Li Chen Daoren in just two moves, Shangguan Yun was shocked, but quickly composed himself, chanted an incantation, and Xiao Shengbai and Li Chen Daoren, who had been sent flying backward, rushed over again. However, just as the two approached Ni Qingfeng, two figures flew directly towards them. Caught off guard, Xiao Shengbai and Li Chen Daoren were once again knocked away by the force of Xue Xiao and Shi Lingwei.

(End of this chapter)