A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 314 Perilous Chase
Si'an City, Yuelai Inn
Following the marks left by Cha Mulong, Ni Qingfeng arrived at the inn. He threw down a tael of silver and asked the innkeeper, who immediately beamed with joy, quickly pocketed the silver, and had a servant take Ni Qingfeng to room number one.

"Master, this is the place."

Seeing that Ni Qingfeng had no further instructions, the servant wisely left. After he left, Ni Qingfeng knocked on the door three times long and once short. He heard footsteps coming from inside. Cha Mulong pushed open the door and saw that it was Ni Qingfeng. He was relieved and immediately invited him in. After looking around and finding nothing amiss, he closed the door.

"Master Ni, what about Shangguan Yun?"

Cha Mulong led Ni Qingfeng into the room. After the two sat down, Cha Mulong couldn't wait to ask questions.

"Shangguan Yun has already become a demon after consuming three dragon pearls. Now, the demonic roots are deeply ingrained and he is unable to extricate himself. If this continues, something terrible will happen sooner or later."

Ni Qingfeng put down his teacup, his face solemn. The power of the three dragon balls was already putting him under some strain, and that was only because Shangguan Yun had not fully refined them. Otherwise, if Ni Qingfeng wanted to escape, he would have to rely on the power of his own body.

"The Dragon Balls are inherently good when they encounter good and evil when they encounter evil. Shangguan Yun, a man with such ambitions, could create world-destroying power if he were to combine with the Dragon Balls. Fortunately, he only has three right now. If he were to collect the remaining ones, no one in the world would be his match."

When Cha Mulong heard Ni Qingfeng's words, his heart sank. Although he could control the Dragon Balls, if Shangguan Yun used evil intentions to corrupt them and refine them for his own use, he was not absolutely certain that he could take them back.

"According to my guess, it will take Shangguan Yun quite a while to fully refine the Dragon Pearl. As long as we can find a way to deal with it during this period, we will not be afraid of him. Chief Chamu, may I ask another question? Can this Dragon Pearl be destroyed?"

Ni Qingfeng stared intently at Cha Mulong, who was startled upon hearing this. However, upon seeing Ni Qingfeng's clear and bright eyes, Cha Mulong understood his thoughts. Almost all of these farces were caused by the Dragon Ball. Since the Dragon Ball appeared in the world, countless lives have been buried by it. Although the Dragon Ball itself is neither good nor evil, its existence is the root of evil thoughts.

"To be honest, Daoist Master, this Dragon Pearl is a sacred object of our clan. It has been passed down since ancient times and has been a symbol of our clan's spirit for nearly a thousand years. It is incredibly strong and cannot be damaged in the slightest by divine weapons."

"However, it's not impossible to destroy it. The Dragon Ball was born in the Pure Pool in our sacred mountain, so there might be a way there."

After Chamulong finished speaking, he was still unsure of himself. He was too busy protecting the Dragon Pearl to bear destroying it. However, now that the Chamu clan was almost completely wiped out, his duty to protect it was fulfilled. After this matter, he would take his son away from the hustle and bustle of the martial world and live an ordinary life.

"It is possible that the origin and destination of this matter are quite in line with the Taoist principle of Yin and Yang, which is mutually generating and destroying each other. Chief Chamu, this matter needs to be taken seriously. As for Shangguan Yun, we, the Tianshan Sect, will deal with him. We must resolve this matter before he annexes the martial arts world."

"I will follow your instructions, Daoist Master Ni. I have temporarily sealed the power of the Dragon Pearl within Xue'er's body and severed Shangguan Yun's connection. However, I cannot sustain this for long with my current strength. We need to leave Si'an City as soon as possible. But the Xuanwu Venerable's life force is weak, and his life fire is about to extinguish. If we travel long distances, I'm afraid his condition will be dire. Do you have any solutions, Daoist Master?"

Cha Mulong harbored resentment towards Xuanwu Shangren for his involvement in the massacre of his clansmen years ago. However, seeing how he raised Xue'er and now suffered such a fate while trying to save her, Cha Mulong felt troubled and unsure of what to do.

"Sparing his life is the biggest concession I can make."

Cha Mulong thought to himself, then looked at Ni Qingfeng. He knew that this man was incredibly powerful and had extraordinary skills, so he must have a solution.

"Could Chief Chamu use the Dragon Pearl to heal his wounds?"

Upon hearing this, Ni Qingfeng looked at Cha Mulong. Xuanwu Shangren was injured by the power of the Dragon Pearl. Logically speaking, using the Dragon Pearl to heal should at least alleviate the injury, even if it cannot be completely cured.

"The power of the Dragon Ball clashes with the power within that Xuanwu Shangren's body. My skill is inferior to Shangguan Yun's. If I were to make a move, I'm afraid his life force would be extinguished instantly."

Ni Qingfeng nodded upon hearing this, got up and went to the bedside. Looking at Xuanwu Shangren and Cha Muxue lying side by side, Ni Qingfeng reached out and a gentle breeze swept over Xuanwu Shangren's body. He then reached out and grabbed a crimson-black aura, which was drawn out of Xuanwu Shangren's body. The crimson-black aura was like a venomous snake, coiling around Ni Qingfeng's fingertips and hissing and howling.

"Dragon's Fury!"

Chamulong's expression changed when he saw the crimson-black aura. He was very familiar with this thing. According to the clan records, hundreds of years ago, when the Dragon Pearl rioted, the escaped dragon evil power directly turned a beautiful valley into a dead land. It took decades for the dragon evil power to be purified, but the beautiful valley never recovered.

"Shangguan Yun took an unorthodox approach, suppressing the righteous energy of the Dragon Pearl. His mind was clouded by the evil power of the Dragon Fiend. Although the power of the Dragon Fiend is still weak, it is still a fatal blow to anyone below the Innate Realm."

With a flash of light from Ni Qingfeng's fingertips, the howling dragon spirit let out a mournful cry and was instantly refined and cleansed. Ni Qingfeng had Cha Mulong protect him from the side, and after repeated treatments, he finally cleaned up the dragon spirit remaining on Xuanwu Shangren's body.

When Cha Mulong saw how easily Ni Qingfeng had dealt with the Dragon Fiend, he was extremely shocked. Although the Dragon Fiend was not as terrifying as described in the records, it was still eliminated by Ni Qingfeng's own strength, rather than by time. For this reason alone, Cha Mulong admired Ni Qingfeng greatly.

Seeing Ni Qingfeng frown, Cha Mulong cautiously asked, "Daoist Master?"

Upon hearing this, Ni Qingfeng shook his head and sighed, "Xuanwu's body is already riddled with holes and difficult to heal. I can only use the Rejuvenation Pill to barely keep him alive. If he can wake up at midnight tonight, he can still be saved, otherwise..."

Upon hearing this, Chamulong felt a slight unease, but this was already the most optimistic scenario at present. Whether or not good fortune would come was entirely up to fate.

"Thank you for your trouble, Daoist Master. Please take a look and see if Xue'er is alright?"

After feeding Xuanwu a Rejuvenation Pill, Ni Qingfeng grabbed Cha Muxue's wrist, checked her breath, and then nodded to Cha Mulong.

“Xue’er is protected by the Dragon Pearl, so the Dragon Fiends cannot corrode him. However, we need to be wary of Shangguan Yun’s frequent use of the Dragon Pearl. The Dragon Pearls are too close and they resonate with each other. Xue’er has never practiced martial arts and is physically weak. This will inevitably put a huge burden on him.”

Seeing Chamulong's worried expression, Ni Qingfeng said, "Chief Chamulong need not worry too much. With the seal you placed on us, plus my Taiji Locking Yuan technique, it is not a problem to hold out for half a month. However, in this way, Xue'er's supernatural powers will be temporarily unusable. The gains and losses in this matter still need to be decided by Chief Chamulong."

"Please, Daoist Master, act swiftly." Cha Mulong looked at his unconscious son and bowed respectfully to Ni Qingfeng.

Seeing this, Ni Qingfeng nodded, grabbed with his right hand, and Cha Muxue, who was lying on the bed, suddenly sat up. Ni Qingfeng twisted his wrist so that Cha Muxue faced him, and gently pressed his right palm on Cha Muxue's dantian. A flash of light appeared, and Cha Mulong immediately saw a mysterious pattern flash by. When he came to his senses, he only saw Ni Qingfeng withdraw his right hand and circulate his qi.

"I have already locked Xue'er's dantian and qi sea. We need to return to Tianshan as soon as possible. Once we get to Tianshan, Shangguan Yun will be helpless."

Despite how easily Ni Qingfeng executed this move, it consumed a considerable amount of his true energy. If it weren't for his profound foundation, it would have been extremely difficult for "Tai Chi Locking Yuan" to deal with the fully refined power of the dragon pearl.

"Thank you for your help, Daoist Master." Cha Mulong could also sense that Ni Qingfeng's aura had suddenly weakened, and he was very grateful. After looking at his son, whose complexion was gradually returning to its rosy state, Cha Mulong pondered for a long time before finally making a decision.

“Master Ni, I will temporarily entrust these two dragon pearls to you. Your martial arts are no less than Shangguan Yun’s. If you can get some help from the dragon pearls, you will have more leverage in dealing with Shangguan Yun in the future. These dragon pearls are somewhat useless to me.”

As he spoke, Cha Mulong took out two jet-black dragon pearls from his bosom and handed them to Ni Qingfeng. Fearing that Ni Qingfeng would refuse, he explained, "These two dragon pearls originally fell into my hands because of the Tianshan Sect. This time, I am only lending them to you temporarily, and they will be returned in the future. Please do not refuse, Daoist."

"In that case, it would be impolite of me to refuse." Seeing that Cha Mulong was genuinely willing to lend the Dragon Pearl, Ni Qingfeng readily accepted it. Perhaps because the Dragon Pearl's owner acknowledged it, the moment Ni Qingfeng received the Dragon Pearl, two extremely mysterious sensations surged into his mind, like a warm current flowing through his body, making him feel extremely comfortable. At that moment, Ni Qingfeng suddenly felt his body lighten, as if he were floating upwards, his consciousness rising infinitely. In the blink of an eye, he had passed through the rooftops and arrived high in the sky, looking down at the things below. His mind was clear and serene, and he gradually entered the Xuanming realm.

Meanwhile, in the inn, Cha Mulong was horrified to discover that a five-colored light suddenly emanated from behind Ni Qingfeng, who had his eyes closed. At first, it was faint, then it grew to the size of a fist, and finally, the five-colored light gradually enveloped Ni Qingfeng's body, making the entire room dazzling and colorful. Within the five-colored light, two dragon pearls, like the brightest stars, swirled around each other, and each time they circled, the five-colored light became more intense.

After an unknown amount of time, the multicolored light in the room slowly receded into Ni Qingfeng's body. Cha Mulong, unaware of what had happened to Ni Qingfeng, dared not make any rash moves and kept his eyes fixed on the other party.

"The Dragon Ball Power Fruit is extraordinary."

Ni Qingfeng opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded to Cha Mulong. The latter, seeing that there was nothing wrong with him, immediately felt relieved.

With the help of the Dragon Pearl, Ni Qingfeng's main body also benefited, because the Dragon Pearl is the essence of this world. It not only successfully opened up the cave heaven, but also quelled the chaos within the cave heaven, solving many problems for Ni Qingfeng in the future.

"We were able to have this opportunity thanks to Cha Mulong's help. This favor is quite significant, and we should find a way to repay it in the future."

The burdens a cultivator bears are related to their path in the Dao. If one cannot resolve these burdens, there will inevitably be some setbacks on the path in the future. Thinking of this, Ni Qingfeng had already made up his mind.

"Chief Chamu, Xue'er and Xuanwu are alright for now. Let's not delay and set off for Tianshan immediately."

Ni Qingfeng didn't know when Shangguan Yun would arrive, but leaving as soon as possible was the best course of action. If he were to get entangled with him, a storm would surely break out in Si'an City, and countless innocent people would suffer.

Cha Mulong nodded in agreement. The two of them then carried one person on their backs and went downstairs. After buying a carriage, Ni Qingfeng drove while Cha Mulong kept watch, and they headed out of the city. Coincidentally, just three quarters of an hour earlier, Shangguan Yun had entered the city and went to the largest pharmacy in the city first. After some questioning, he found nothing. He then went to several inns to inquire and finally arrived at the inn where Ni Qingfeng and the others had been.

"Sir, you've come at an inopportune time. Those guests left half an hour ago."

The innkeeper, holding the silver in his hand, immediately explained the whole story. Seeing the increasingly grim expression on the other person's face, the innkeeper's heart skipped a beat. He gave a wink to the waiter beside him, who understood and immediately turned to leave. The innkeeper also slowly retreated towards the counter. Suddenly, he felt his body go empty. Looking down, he saw a bloody hand piercing through his chest, still clutching a beating heart.

"what!"

A scream rang out, and the entire inn erupted in chaos. The people dining in the hall saw the innkeeper being killed and immediately scattered and fled. However, they hadn't gone far before their bodies sprayed blood like a fountain, turning the entire inn crimson in an instant.

Shangguan Yun clenched his fist, and the heart instantly shattered. He coldly watched the inn turn into a living hell, then swept his sleeve, and streaks of crimson and black energy crisscrossed through it. The moment he left the inn, the entire inn was reduced to ruins with a deafening roar.

"Ni Qingfeng, Cha Mulong, you won't escape from my grasp!"

Shangguan Yun moved swiftly, arriving outside the city before the officials arrived. After a moment's hesitation, he intercepted a horse and headed towards the Tianshan Sect.

“Ni Qingfeng must have taken them to the Tianshan Sect for refuge, but do you think they will be safe once they go to Tianshan?”

Previously, Shangguan Yun was somewhat wary of Xue Wanshan and Ni Qingfeng, but the previous battle greatly boosted his confidence. Xue Wanshan's skill was at most similar to Ni Qingfeng's, and he had already refined most of the Dragon Pearl. He was confident that he could defeat Ni Qingfeng within a hundred moves.

"This time, I, the master of this hall, will conquer the Tianshan Mountains alone and accomplish the great task of unifying the martial arts world!"

The horses galloped, raising a cloud of dust.

As Ni Qingfeng drove the carriage along the official road, Cha Mulong, who was inside the carriage, saw that Xue'er was once again radiating a faint golden light. His expression changed, and he hurriedly called out to Ni Qingfeng outside, "Master Ni!"

Upon hearing this, Ni Qingfeng immediately stopped whipping the carriage, pulled it aside, lifted the curtain, and looked at the strange condition on Cha Muxue's body. His expression also became serious. He reached out and pressed down, and a surge of clear light forced the golden light back into his body.

"It must be Shangguan Yun catching up. The Dragon Pearl is too close, and it's acting on its own. We need to hurry."

Cha Mulong nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. Looking at the two unconscious people, he glanced at Ni Qingfeng and said in a deep voice, "If things change, please, Daoist Ni, be sure to take Xue'er back to Tianshan. I do not wish for her to be rich and powerful in the future, but only hope that she can live a happy life."

Upon hearing Cha Mulong's words, Ni Qingfeng realized the situation and said, "Things haven't reached the point of no return yet. If Shangguan Yun catches up, I still have the strength to fight him. Chief Cha Mu, please take good care of your son. He has already lost his mother. If he loses his father as well, it would be too cruel for him."

Before Cha Mulong could reply, Feng Bo turned and got out of the carriage. He picked up the whip and flicked it forward. With a snap, the horse neighed and pulled the carriage to continue on its way. Just a few dozen miles away from them, Shangguan Yun appeared. He was running very fast. In order to catch up with Ni Qingfeng and the others, Shangguan Yun had intercepted six horses along the way and caught up with them by speed.

"The carriage tracks are still clear, so it seems they haven't been there long."

Shangguan Yun glanced at the wheel tracks on the official road, cracked his whip, and continued on his way.

Half an hour later, Shangguan Yun saw the speeding carriage and was overjoyed. He immediately accelerated. At the same time, Cha Mulong also noticed that the golden light on Xue'er's body was rising again. He lifted the curtain and looked back, and saw Shangguan Yun's figure in his eyes.

"Shangguan Yun is so fast. Chief Chamu, you drive the carriage. Let me stop him for a bit."

Ni Qingfeng spoke solemnly to Cha Mulong, then picked up his longsword, flipped over, and leaped onto the carriage. His figure soared into the air, his longsword flashing across the mountainside. A dazzling sword light shot straight towards Shangguan Yun. Before the sword light faded, he unleashed another palm strike, a powerful palm strike that shook the mountain. Using both sword and palm, the two forces attacked one after the other, and the sound of air being torn apart clearly reached Shangguan Yun's ears.

Seeing this, Shangguan Yun's expression remained unchanged. He leaped into the air, his palm rising and falling, a crimson-gold palm force mixed with black met the attack. With just one collision, they exploded in mid-air, the rolling shockwaves blasting both of them away. Ni Qingfeng spun three times to deflect the force and landed steadily on the ground.

Watching the carriage gradually disappear into the distance, Ni Qingfeng breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at Shangguan Yun, who was shrouded in dust, a glint flashed in Ni Qingfeng's eyes. His longsword hummed incessantly, and he leaped forward. A burst of sword light, like water, tore through the dust and attacked Shangguan Yun from all directions.

Shangguan Yun is no longer the same as before. With the Dragon Pearl protecting him, Ni Qingfeng's dual sword and palm techniques did not harm him. He simply swept his sleeve and neutralized it. Seeing the approaching sword light, he showed disdain and shouted. He did not even summon his protective light shield. He just clenched his fist, and a savage and fierce aura immediately enveloped the surrounding area for several feet. The sword light was as if it were wrapped in sand and stones. Its original speed suddenly slowed down. Before it could reach him, it was shattered by the power that filled the surrounding area.

"Ni Qingfeng, if this is all you've got, you're dead today!"

Shangguan Yun swept away the lingering turbid air in front of him, his eyes flashing like lightning as he looked at Ni Qingfeng, who was about ten feet away. He raised his hands slightly, and two condensed red and black orbs of light slowly appeared. With a deep shout from Shangguan Yun, the two orbs of light were thrown out at the same time, condensing into one in mid-air and attacking Ni Qingfeng.

"Qi Gang merges!"

(End of this chapter)