A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 315 Returning to Tianshan
When Ni Qingfeng saw that Shangguan Yun could actually use the Qi Flowing Technique, his expression changed slightly. Even a master of the Innate Realm could not use this technique so easily. In addition to requiring subtle control of true qi, it also required absolute power to unleash it.

Once this Qi Flow is unleashed, it will act like a furnace within a radius of about a mile, refining all living beings within its range. It can be said to be extremely domineering. Moreover, Ni Qingfeng saw that this Qi Flow move was mixed with black evil spirits and emitted a repulsive aura, so there must be a trap involved.

Without time to think, Ni Qingfeng took a deep breath, his aura surged, his sleeves fluttered, and the long sword in his hand shone with a clear light. Circles of water-like sword light swept forward, colliding and fighting with the aftershocks of the aura. Although they did not meet head-on, Ni Qingfeng knew from the sword light being squeezed and shattered that Shangguan Yun's aura, which he had unleashed with the three dragon pearls, had reached the peak of the innate realm.

Shangguan Yun watched Ni Qingfeng defend with his sword, his face showing disdain. He then added more force, and the swirling vortex of energy rapidly spun, swallowing up all the scattered sword light and then returning it. As a result, Ni Qingfeng felt pressured, not only having to deal with the energy vortex but also having to watch out for the returned attacks.

"Shangguan Yun has not fully refined the Dragon Pearl, so I still have some advantages over him. If we use the same Qi Flow technique, even if we can't completely negate the attack, we can at least turn the tide."

Thinking of this, Ni Qingfeng's eyes sharpened, and the longsword in his hand hummed continuously, with clear and melodious sword sounds piercing the sky. Strands of sword energy and crisscrossing sword light flew out and shot towards the swirling qi. Although the sword light and sword energy were like mud oxen entering the sea, it bought Ni Qingfeng time. Watching the sword light fading away, Ni Qingfeng switched the sword to his left hand and made a loose clenching motion with his right hand. A shimmering white light appeared on his fist, growing brighter and brighter until it enveloped Ni Qingfeng's entire body, like the sun in the sky, radiating a scorching heat wave.

Just as Shangguan Yun was secretly on high alert, a deep shout came, and a bright white jade light suddenly appeared, rushing towards the vortex of qi at great speed. Seeing the extraordinary power of the jade light, Shangguan Yun felt a sense of foreboding and immediately poured the power of the Dragon Pearl into the vortex, but he was still a step too late.

The jade light and the vortex collided, instantly shining with brilliant light. Then, a deafening explosion erupted, raising a rolling wave of air that spread in all directions. Ni Qingfeng, who was at the center of the battle, felt a tightness in his chest and his face paled. He casually cleaved through the air and dust with his sword, dodged and stepped into a safe area, and stared intently ahead without blinking.

"Shangguan Yun was caught off guard by that attack just now and will at least suffer some damage."

Ni Qingfeng slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, easing the recoil somewhat, but his spiritual sense still scanned his surroundings. Just as the smoke and dust subsided, a dark light suddenly flashed from ahead. Ni Qingfeng's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly dodged. However, just as he dodged the light, he discovered that two more dark lights were flying from his left and right sides. Seeing this, Ni Qingfeng raised his longsword and then slashed horizontally, knocking the two dark lights away. However, the added force caused his blood to surge, and his already pale face became even more pale.

“Ni Qingfeng, even if I can’t capture the Chamu people today, capturing you is still worthwhile.”

Shangguan Yun strode through the air, his robes fluttering, his resolute face exuding an imposing aura. If one did not notice the crimson-black aura surrounding him, he would appear to be a righteous and awe-inspiring martial arts alliance leader!

Seeing Ni Qingfeng injured, Shangguan Yun was overjoyed. This man's value was no less than that of the Chamu people. Half of the Tianshan Sect's great reputation was built by this man. If he could get rid of this man, the Tianshan Sect would not only lose a pillar of strength, but he could also take the opportunity to suppress the Tianshan Sect, which would be of great benefit to his future unification of the martial arts world.

"Shangguan Yun, you have the Dragon Pearl, so I can't do anything to you. But if you want to keep me here, let's see if you have the ability."

Ni Qingfeng straightened his brows, circulated his internal energy to suppress his injuries, straightened his body, held the long sword in his hand, reflected his face, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes. With a whoosh, the sword flashed, and Shangguan Yun felt a sharp pain between his eyebrows, followed by a warm sensation on his palm. When he opened his eyes, he saw a clear sword mark on his left hand, and blood was flowing down uncontrollably.

"Good swordsmanship!"

Shangguan Yun exclaimed in admiration, and a flash of crimson light appeared on his left hand, instantly erasing the sword mark. If it weren't for the bloodstains on his left hand, one would almost doubt whether he was injured at all. Ni Qingfeng saw that his sword light had not caused any irreparable damage to Shangguan Yun, and his heart sank slightly. He then charged forward again with his sword. In the middle of the way, his figure split into nine figures in an instant, and at the same time used the Cloud and Water Sword Technique to attack Shangguan Yun in combination with the advantage of the sword light.

Having learned his lesson once before, Shangguan Yun was already on guard. Seeing Ni Qingfeng attack with his sword, he snorted coldly and a three-colored light shield formed around him. Although the shield was thin, when the sword light struck it, it left no mark except for a white mark. Moreover, the moment the shield collided with the sword light, Shangguan Yun had a flash of inspiration and directly channeled the power of the Dragon Pearl toward the sword light, instantly shattering it.

Because of the connection of their energies, Ni Qingfeng sensed Shangguan Yun's movements when the sword light shattered. Ni Qingfeng flipped his wrist, changing his sword from a thrusting motion to a slashing motion, and swept it forward. Countless sword lights spread out like fans, stretching endlessly, directly blocking the power of the Dragon Pearl. Not only that, Ni Qingfeng brought his index and middle fingers together, and a beam of icy white energy shot out towards Shangguan Yun.

"Little tricks!"

At this moment, Shangguan Yun's hair and beard were dyed red, his eyes were all green, and his hands had turned completely black. When he saw Ni Qingfeng make a move, Shangguan Yun pushed his hands forward, and two huge palm prints blocked his way. The sword light touched the palm prints, and the two forces clashed with each other. The sword light flashed rapidly, and the palm energy swirled. Neither was willing to give way. Just as they were locked in a stalemate, Ni Qingfeng's Ice Soul Cold Light arrived, leaping over the sword light and palm energy, and rushing straight at Shangguan Yun.

Seeing the icy light attacking, Shangguan Yun neither dodged nor evaded, but continued to push forward with both hands. With a series of cracking sounds, the sword light gradually lost its power against the palm energy and shattered one after another. Just when it seemed that the entire sword was about to be annihilated, the icy light finally landed on Shangguan Yun's hands. As soon as it touched the external force, the icy light instantly condensed into frost. In just a few breaths, Shangguan Yun's hands were frozen into an icebox, and the speed at which the cold light spread was also accelerating. In a few more breaths, it would seal off Shangguan Yun's limbs.

"Shangguan Yun is not so easily defeated. What is he thinking?"

Seeing that Shangguan Yun offered almost no resistance, Ni Qingfeng frowned, sensing that things were not simple. However, he then thought that since he now had his main body supporting him, he didn't need to fear him. He should deal with the immediate problem first. With that thought, Ni Qingfeng's longsword trembled, and streaks of clear light transformed into blades that slashed towards the huge palm print. Without the support of true energy, the palm print was finally shattered after a few breaths, and a scorching, dry wave of air dissipated.

When Ni Qingfeng saw that Shangguan Yun was frozen in ice, his eyes flickered slightly. He then sheathed his sword, used his lightness skill to chase after Cha Mulong and the others before Shangguan Yun could break free of the ice.

Just as Ni Qingfeng was about to move, a lightning-fast hidden weapon suddenly flew out from the side. Ni Qingfeng hurriedly used his sword sheath to block it, and with a crack, the sword sheath was shattered. If the sword had not been made of black iron, it would have suffered the same fate.

As Ni Qingfeng stared intently at the incoming hidden weapon, his expression changed slightly. The weapon was a black caltrop ball that shone with a dazzling blue light under the sunlight, clearly indicating that it was coated with a potent poison.

"Radiant Blue Sky!"

Ni Qingfeng paused, his sword sheath trembled, and the shattered sheath, along with the flowing sky-blue hue, fell to the ground. With a flick of his sleeve, he used a gust of wind to lift the hidden weapon and put it into a wooden box.

This Flowing Sky Blue is a vicious hidden weapon that has disappeared from the martial arts world. Its power is even greater than that of the Tang Clan's Rain of Pear Blossoms Needles. Moreover, this thing is specifically designed to break through protective qi. Once it hits the flesh, the person will be instantly turned into a pool of pus and blood by the deadly poison on it.

"Ni Qingfeng, do you think that mere ice can seal me away?"

Shangguan Yun's figure appeared like a ghost in front of Ni Qingfeng, holding dozens of colorful sky-blue projectiles in his hand. Before Ni Qingfeng could make a move, he activated his true energy, and the projectiles flew like rain. The whooshing sound of them cutting through the air made Ni Qingfeng's expression turn solemn.

"Even the Flowing Colors and Azure Sky have fallen into your hands. It seems your foundation is deeper than I imagined."

Upon seeing the hidden weapons approaching, Ni Qingfeng activated his protective qi, wielding his longsword with impeccable skill to firmly protect himself. The sounds of metal clashing were deafening. After only a few breaths, Ni Qingfeng noticed that a layer of his qi had been shaved away, and his wrists felt slightly numb. After sweeping away another barrage of hidden weapons, Ni Qingfeng leaped forward, his longsword forming a semicircle, embodying the principles of yin and yang, and revealing the way of Tai Chi.

The black and white energies condensed and swirled, gradually merging into a Tai Chi pattern. The incoming hidden weapons, like countless rivers flowing into the sea, were all swallowed up by the Tai Chi vortex created by the longsword and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"What kind of swordsmanship is this?"

When Shangguan Yun saw Ni Qingfeng use a sword technique he had never seen before, his face immediately turned grim. To better understand his opponent, he had secretly done a lot of work, collecting information on all of Ni Qingfeng's battles, big and small, over the past few years, searching for weaknesses in his moves. The reason he was able to break Ni Qingfeng's Ice Soul Cold Light so quickly was because he had prepared beforehand, using the Dragon Pearl's pure Yang power combined with his own pure true energy to achieve victory in one fell swoop. Besides Ice Soul Cold Light, Shangguan Yun also had ways to counter Ni Qingfeng's other martial arts, such as Cloud Water Sword Technique and Pure Yang Finger. But now, Ni Qingfeng suddenly used a set of sword moves he had never seen before, truly catching Shangguan Yun off guard.

"No matter what sword technique you use, there's a limit. It all depends on how many moves you can withstand!"

Shangguan Yun snorted coldly, and the remaining Flowing Sky Blue was almost gone. He unleashed it all at once. At the same time, Shangguan Yun struck another palm. This palm was different from the previous ones. The palm was crimson, while the five fingers were jet black and shiny, exuding a mysterious aura. This was a martial art that Shangguan Yun had forged by fusing the Gold-Dividing Palm and the Dragon Fiend. He named it the "Sorrowful Nether Palm". When he struck out, thousands of Yin Fiends followed, ghosts and gods wailed, and the sky collapsed and the earth cracked.

Ni Qingfeng had already sensed something when Shangguan Yun made his move. The flowing blue sky was nothing to worry about under the Tai Chi sword technique, but the palm strike that followed made Ni Qingfeng feel threatened.

"drink!"

He channeled his inner energy into the longsword, which then emitted a faint, clear light. As Ni Qingfeng unleashed his sword techniques, the Tai Chi pattern grew brighter and brighter. With a clanging sound, the flowing blue sky was completely eroded by the sword energy. With a deep shout, the Tai Chi pattern collided with the Beiming Palm energy. Instantly, waves of energy surged, dust filled the air, the ground sank three feet, and all vegetation was destroyed. The Tai Chi sword energy and the Beiming Palm energy dissipated simultaneously. Ni Qingfeng groaned, a trace of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, which he casually wiped away, his eyes fixed intently on the front.

In the instant they exchanged blows, Ni Qingfeng sensed that Shangguan Yun's aura was growing stronger, and his strength had increased several times over. If this continued, within a month, Shangguan Yun's martial arts would reach an unbelievable level.

"Heh, your sword technique is indeed extraordinary, but it is still vulnerable under absolute power. Ni Qingfeng, you are already seriously injured, yet you still dare to act arrogantly. I will give you a chance to live. Submit to me, and I may spare your life."

Shangguan Yun pushed aside the air currents and dust in front of him and walked slowly toward Ni Qingfeng. Although his face was slightly pale, his tone was very firm and strong.

"I don't know the origin of that nameless sword technique, but it was able to break my Sorrowful Palm. Such a supreme martial art should belong to me. It's not too late to kill Ni Qingfeng after I interrogate him."

Although Shangguan Yun appeared calm, his situation was only slightly better than Ni Qingfeng's. The Tai Chi sword energy successfully broke through his defenses and entered his body at the moment of its final bloom. Moreover, this energy was extremely difficult to deal with, as it could convert his internal energy into resources to continuously strengthen itself. If he hadn't reacted quickly and forcibly sealed it with the power of the Dragon Pearl, his internal energy might have been completely devoured by it by now.

Hearing Shangguan Yun's words, Ni Qingfeng chuckled, gripped his longsword horizontally in his right hand, and made a sword incantation with his left hand. He said in a deep voice, "Shangguan Yun, it is still uncertain who will win today. You should know how much true energy you have left. Although I am not talented, I can still severely injure you with a desperate attack. How will you then contend with the sect leader?"

Ni Qingfeng said this because he sensed the Tai Chi sword energy within Shangguan Yun's body. This Tai Chi sword energy was like a stubborn disease; if it wasn't eliminated as soon as possible, it would become a fatal threat over time. Although Shangguan Yun sealed it with the power of the Dragon Pearl, once the sword energy adapted, it would turn around and absorb the power of the Dragon Pearl to strengthen itself. At that point, the Dragon Pearl would no longer be a guardian deity, but a death warrant.

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yun's expression darkened, his emerald eyes staring menacingly at Ni Qingfeng, like a demon ready to devour its prey. If it were someone else standing here, they would probably be intimidated by Shangguan Yun's aura and lose the power to resist. However, Ni Qingfeng disregarded this, his longsword humming as a stream of light flowed across its blade, a cold glint appearing at the tip, ready to strike at any moment.

"Master Ni, you are truly skilled. I was right to consider you my rival all along. I thought I was invincible with the Dragon Pearl in my hand, but I never expected to suffer repeated setbacks at your hands. Very well, Master Ni, though the mountains are high and the rivers are far, we will meet again. When my cultivation has greatly improved, I will surely lead my people to Tianshan to meet you."

Shangguan Yunxin knew that she would not be able to defeat Ni Qingfeng and the others today, and she was in a very bad mood. The sword energy in her body was also restless. She had almost made a fool of herself just now. After saying a few harsh words, Shangguan Yunxin was busy healing her injuries. She gave Ni Qingfeng a cold look and then moved in an instant, running back the way she came.

Just after Shangguan Yun left, Ni Qingfeng exhaled a breath of turbid air, slumped to the ground with an exhausted expression, stuck his long sword into the ground, sat down cross-legged, took a few pills, and began to meditate and cultivate his Qi, slowly replenishing his depleted dantian. After half an hour, Ni Qingfeng opened his eyes and slowly got up. This short time was not enough to fully recover, but this 50% of his power was enough for him.

Not wanting to waste time, Ni Qingfeng retrieved his longsword and used his lightness skill to rush towards Cha Mulong and the others. Although it took several hours, Cha Mulong was still worried about Ni Qingfeng, so the carriage traveled at a normal speed except for the initial high speed. Therefore, Ni Qingfeng caught up in less than an hour.

"Master Ni!"

Cha Mulong noticed that Ni Qingfeng's aura was weakening, and was startled. He immediately jumped off the carriage and hurriedly came to greet him.

"Master, how are you?"

Cha Mulong wanted to use his internal energy to heal him, but Ni Qingfeng stopped him.

"I am fine and just need to rest for a while. Chief Chamu, although Shangguan Yun has been temporarily repelled, the crisis is not over. We need to return to Tianshan as soon as possible, otherwise, if Shangguan Yun mobilizes his forces, our journey will be difficult."

Shangguan Yun came alone this time, which gave them a chance to escape; otherwise, even if they had managed to escape, it would have taken them a lot of effort.

"I will follow the Taoist priest's instructions."

Seeing that Ni Qingfeng and Shangguan Yun were fighting so fiercely, Cha Mulong knew that he would surely lose if he faced them. In the entire martial arts world, only the Tianshan Sect could rival the Zhongxin Hall.

Cha Mulong helped Ni Qingfeng into the carriage and drove it himself. They traveled day and night, enduring wind and rain, and after a month, they finally arrived at Tianshan without any major incidents. Just as the carriage entered the town of Tianshan, Cha Mulong was surprised to see Fu Tianjiao leading a group of Tianshan disciples towards them.

"Fourth Uncle, Master specifically sent me to meet you."

Fu Tianjiao was taken aback when she saw that Cha Mulong was driving the carriage. She then bowed, and Cha Mulong returned the bow. At this moment, the curtain was lifted, and Ni Qingfeng came out of the carriage. After getting off, he nodded to Fu Tianjiao.

"Is everything alright up on the mountain?"

"Everything is fine, Fourth Uncle. Master is waiting in the main hall. Let's go up the mountain."

"it is good."

Ni Qingfeng said a few words to Cha Mulong, who immediately carried Cha Muxue out of the carriage, while Xuanwu Shangren was carried out by two disciples. The group headed up the mountain in a grand procession.

(End of this chapter)