A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 316 Desiring to Destroy the Dragon Ball
Tianshan Sect, Hongyi Hall

Xue Wanshan, Shen Henian, and Li Dengping gathered in the hall. Shen Henian looked out of the hall and paced back and forth. Looking at the calm and composed sect leader, he couldn't help but admire his senior brother's composure. If he knew that his fourth junior brother had caused such a commotion outside, he would have been restless long ago.

"Senior brother, our fourth junior brother is about to arrive. This time, when our fourth junior brother returns to the mountain, our Tianshan Sect will inevitably clash with Zhongxin Hall."

Upon hearing this, Li Dengping looked at Shen Henian and said solemnly, "The Tianshan Sect and Zhongxin Hall will inevitably clash sooner or later. Zhongxin Hall sent the Sun and Moon Twin Fiends to attack and destroy the Liubo Sect. If it weren't for Sect Leader Yin relocating the sect in advance and preserving most of its strength, it would probably have been swallowed up by Zhongxin Hall by now. Our Tianshan Sect is now changing rapidly, and we are not afraid of Zhongxin Hall. The only thing we need to consider is how to minimize the losses."

Under Xue Wanshan's leadership, the Tianshan Sect has undergone tremendous changes in recent years. In addition to the four of them, several elders have also reached the first-class level. The second-generation disciples, such as Tianjiao, have also made great progress in their martial arts under the guidance of resources. In particular, the martial arts of Tianjiao, Zhao Kai, and Gu Ming are no less than those of Li Dengping. With the addition of the Tianshan Sword Formation, they are enough to block several times more enemies.

In addition, with the help of allies such as Fuyun Temple, Iron Spear Sect, Zixia Mountain, and Liubo Sect, this force is no less powerful than Zhongxin Hall. Not to mention the top-notch masters such as the Black and White Twin Heroes and Biyu Sheng mentioned in Ni Qingfeng's letter, Li Dengping can now be said to have full confidence in Tianshan Sect.

Upon hearing this, Shen Henian shook his head and lightly waved his whisk, saying, "Third Junior Sister, we still can't be careless. Didn't Junior Brother Ni mention in his letter that Shangguan Yun secretly used Soul-Stealing Technique to control Xiao Shengbai and the others? These people are all experts. Although they have been killed, who knows if Shangguan Yun has controlled others? We must be on guard."

Upon receiving Ni Qingfeng's letter, Shen Henian was shocked to see the appearance of Xiao Shengbai and the others who were mentioned as already dead. Ni Qingfeng did not know how powerful this person was, but he had been traveling in the martial arts world for several years and knew that this person was notorious. Later, due to his extreme actions, he was besieged and killed by various sects. Unexpectedly, Shangguan Yun still managed to get the kill in the end.

"Second Senior Brother, times have changed. Besides, Xiao Shengbai and the others are already dead and their souls have been extinguished. Even if Shangguan Yun has a trump card, he certainly won't use one that's more powerful than theirs."

Hearing this, Shen Henian didn't look at Li Dengping, but instead turned his gaze to Xue Wanshan sitting on the seat. The latter seemed to notice Shen Henian's gaze, and immediately opened his eyes, glancing at Shen Henian and Li Dengping. When they were looked at by his gaze, they felt a clear stream flowing through their hearts, which helped to calm their minds, and their bodies felt light. The two looked at each other and both showed joy. Their senior brother had been in seclusion for a long time, and his skills had indeed greatly improved.

"We'll discuss everything once Fourth Junior Brother returns. If the matter of Zhongxin Hall isn't resolved, our Tianshan Sect will never be at peace. Third Junior Sister, go and greet him outside."

"Yes, senior brother."

After bowing respectfully to Xue Wanshan, Li Dengping turned and left the main hall, leading several disciples toward the outside of the mountain gate. Just as they reached the outside of the mountain gate, they saw Fu Tianjiao and her group walking slowly toward them on the mountain path.

"Yes, Third Martial Uncle!"

Fu Tianjiao turned to look at Ni Qingfeng, who waved his hand, and the group immediately sped up. In no time, they arrived in front of Li Dengping.

"Sister."

"Greetings, Third Martial Uncle."

Li Dengping nodded, glancing at Ni Qingfeng's slightly pale face, then at Cha Mulong and his son, as well as the Xuanwu Master being carried. She frowned but didn't say much. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Dengping had someone take Cha Mulong and the others to their guest rooms to rest, while she and Ni Qingfeng walked towards the main hall.

"Junior brother, you..."

Seeing the slight worry on Li Dengping's face, Ni Qingfeng felt a warmth in his heart and chuckled, "It's just a minor injury. She'll be fine after a few days of rest. Senior Sister, how has everything been at Tianshan while I was away?"

"All is well. Everything is proceeding according to plan. Now, everyone in Tianshan is of one mind and will not let Zhongxintang's conspiracy succeed. Also, the Black and White Heroes wrote a letter the day before yesterday saying they are coming to Tianshan, probably in the next few days."

As Li Dengping walked, she briefly recounted some of the important events that had occurred at the Tianshan Sect during this period. Ni Qingfeng listened and nodded. By the time the two reached the outside of the main hall, Ni Qingfeng had a general understanding of the situation.

"Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, the Sect Leader instructed that once you arrive, there is no need to announce your arrival; you can go straight in."

When the gatekeeper saw Li Dengping and Ni Qingfeng arrive, he bowed respectfully, then opened the hall door to let them in. Li and Ni nodded and stepped inside.

"Sect Leader, Second Senior Brother."

Ni Qingfeng entered the main hall, looked at Xue Wanshan on the seat and Shen Henian standing to the side, took a few steps forward, and solemnly bowed.

"Junior brother, there's no need for such formalities. You must be tired from your journey. Please sit down first," Xue Wanshan said, waving his whisk and offering his hands in a gesture of respect.

After exchanging pleasantries, Shen Henian looked at Ni Qingfeng and said, "Junior brother, I heard you fought with Shangguan Yun. I wonder what level his martial arts have reached?"

Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle. Currently, the only person in Zhongxin Hall who can make the Tianshan Sect wary is Shangguan Yun. If we can figure out his background, we can be more effective in the future.

Upon hearing this, not only Li Dengping but also Xue Wanshan looked over.

In the eyes of others, Xue Wanshan's martial arts skills, even if they were not as good as Shangguan Yun's, should at least be close. Although Xue Wanshan has one foot in the Xiantian realm, he is still not very confident in facing Shangguan Yun.

“Shangguan Yun has already entered the Innate Realm and has three Dragon Balls in his hands. Although Junior Brother is slightly better, Shangguan Yun is getting stronger with each battle. Junior Brother has fought him twice, and he was already quite struggling to deal with him the second time. If Shangguan Yun digests what he has gained from the battle, his martial arts cultivation will reach another level.”

After Ni Qingfeng finished speaking, Shen Henian and Li Dengping were dumbfounded, followed by deep shock. Shangguan Yun had achieved the Innate Realm and was protected by the Dragon Pearl, yet he was still defeated by their junior brother. Could it be...?

Shen Henian and Li Dengping looked at Xue Wanshan at the head of the table with surprise. Upon seeing this, the latter nodded slightly and admitted, "Junior Brother Ni has only recently achieved the Innate Realm. It was I who deliberately kept the news secret to prevent anyone with ulterior motives from spying on us. However, Junior Brother Ni, did Shangguan Yun borrow the power of the Dragon Pearl to enter the Innate Realm so quickly?"

Shen Henian and Li Dengping were overjoyed to hear the sect leader admit it personally. Whether a sect has a master of innate talent or not makes a world of difference. Having a master of innate talent is enough to make a sect a major sect in the world. Moreover, the Tianshan Sect can receive support from the master of innate talent in the future, and pass it down from generation to generation. Even if a master of innate talent cannot appear in every generation, at least there will be no shortage of masters to support the sect.

"What the sect leader said is correct. However, Shangguan Yun did indeed borrow the power of the Dragon Pearl, but he did succeed after all. Moreover, the Dragon Pearl is deeply connected to him. Although the road ahead has come to an end, Shangguan Yun is indeed very difficult to deal with at the Innate Realm."

Ni Qingfeng's words were not an exaggeration. Although he had greatly improved his power with the help of the Dragon Pearl, Shangguan Yun had taken an unorthodox approach, sacrificing everything in exchange for his own strength. In this respect, Ni Qingfeng was indeed no match for him. Unless his true body intervened from behind, he could easily suppress him. However, after his true body helped him defeat Shangguan Yun, the wisp of divine thought residing on his body gradually disappeared.

"It seems that Shangguan Yun has really become a force to be reckoned with. As the saying goes, to catch a thief, you must first catch the king. If we want to deal with Zhongxin Hall, we must first subdue Shangguan Yun. Fourth Junior Brother, you can take whatever you need from the treasure vault. Now, on Tianshan Mountain, you are the only one who can contend with Shangguan Yun. If necessary, we will create opportunities for you even if it means sacrificing our lives."

Xue Wanshan stood up and looked at the three people present with a solemn expression. Shen Henian was slightly startled when he heard this. The sect leader's words showed that he was prepared to die, and that he could bear any price if necessary.

"We will obey the wishes of our senior brother, the sect leader." Shen Henian and Li Dengping both bowed respectfully. The Tianshan Sect was currently facing a once-in-a-century crisis. If they could successfully overcome it, they would be able to rise from the ashes to become dragons. Otherwise, the sect's lineage would be cut off, and they would become sinners of the sect. Even in the afterlife, they would have no face to meet the ancestors of all generations.

Ni Qingfeng nodded upon hearing this and said in a deep voice, "Sect Leader, rest assured, I will be in seclusion for cultivation in the coming days, striving to improve my martial arts to a higher level. During my seclusion, I will entrust all matters to you, Senior Brother and Senior Sister. Also,"

At this point, Ni Qingfeng looked at Xue Wanshan and the other two and said, "Shangguan Yun has already refined quite a few of those three dragon pearls. If he manages to get a few more, I'm afraid we'll be powerless to turn the tide. Senior Brother Sect Leader, you must be careful with that child named Cha Muxue. Remember, he must not fall into Shangguan Yun's hands, or the consequences will be unimaginable."

Shangguan Yun, sensing the Dragon Pearl's power, was determined to seize it, making his arrival at Tianshan inevitable. With the power of Tianshan, this wouldn't be a problem in the short term. The real concern was that Shangguan Yun's occasional incursions would weaken the mountain's power, leaving them unable to defend themselves and falling into his trap.

“I understand that the guesthouse will be equipped with the Thunder Cloud Sword Formation, along with the Heavenly Mountain Sword Formation of forty-nine people. Even if Shangguan Yun himself comes, he will not be able to break free in a short time. When the time comes, with the combined strength of myself, the Black and White Heroes, and Mr. Bi, we will not be afraid of Shangguan Yun.”

This was the first time Ni Qingfeng had heard the name Thunderclap Sword Formation, and he couldn't help but look puzzled. He looked at Xue Wanshan, who chuckled and said, "Fourth Junior Brother, you may not know this, but the Thunderclap Sword Formation is a secret passed down through generations of sect leaders. Only three people in the entire Tianshan Sect know about it. This formation is composed of thirty-six skilled swordsmen arranged according to the positions of the Heavenly Gang. Once activated, wind and thunder move together, and swords resound through the nine heavens. The area within the formation is filled with wind, thunder, and sword energy. Even a wisp of this energy can shatter stone and split gold. However, the destructive power of this formation far surpasses that of the Seven Absolute Swords of Tianshan. Using it once will deplete one's vital energy for several months. But with the True Essence Pill that you refined, Junior Brother, this flaw has been made up for. At least it can be used continuously for a period of time. Shangguan Yun doesn't understand the principles. If he is not careful, he will suffer the fate of being pierced by ten thousand swords."

Shen Henian and Li Dengping were also hearing about the Thunderclap Sword Formation for the first time. After listening to their senior brother's simple description, they were shocked. However, Ni Qingfeng was not very optimistic after listening, but he still showed a look of surprise on his face.

"With this sword formation, we can protect Tianshan, the sect leader, and my senior brothers and sisters. After I finish dealing with some worldly matters, I will go to the meditation room to cultivate in seclusion."

Upon hearing this, Xue Wanshan said, "You can go into seclusion without worry. We will be careful."

After the four of them discussed things for a while, Ni Qingfeng bowed and turned to leave the main hall. He first went to the guest house to check on Cha Mulong and the other two. Knowing that Cha Muxue and Xuanwu Shangren were temporarily unharmed, he was immediately relieved. After instructing Tianjiao to take good care of them, he returned to his residence.

Gu Ming left Tianshan a few days ago because of some problems at the Sihai Inn, but the layout of the residence remained unchanged from when Ni Qingfeng left.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Ni Qingfeng placed the two dragon pearls in front of him and silently meditated to cultivate his Qi. As his true Qi surged back, beams of five-colored light enveloped Ni Qingfeng, and the two dragon pearls rose into the air, slowly floating between Ni Qingfeng's eyebrows. Soft golden light continuously flowed towards his brow, and as the golden light entered, Ni Qingfeng's injuries improved at a visible speed. The impure Qi and strange forces accumulated in his body were also drawn out one by one. The five-colored light behind him rotated, from thick to thin, and then from thin to thick. After rotating thirty-six times, the five-colored light gradually condensed into a beam and slowly returned to Ni Qingfeng's body.

After the five-colored light subsided, a black and white vortex appeared above Ni Qingfeng's head, spinning faster and faster. Streams of pure spiritual energy surged in from the outside. At this moment, the two dragon pearls made a flash and landed in the black and white vortex. As time passed, the black and white vortex gradually formed a Tai Chi pattern, and the two dragon pearls became the eyes of the Yin-Yang fish.

Streams of black and white profound energy surged down into Ni Qingfeng's body, cleansing away impurities and smoothing out his meridians. The filth hidden deep within his body transformed into wisps of crimson and black smoke, which were quickly dissipated by the black and white vortex. After an unknown amount of time, Ni Qingfeng opened his eyes, a flash of lightning in them, and slowly exhaled.

"Dragon Balls are great, but you can't rely on them too much. Otherwise, if you get too obsessed with them, you'll fall into a trap of delusion and never wake up. You'll become a puppet of the Dragon Balls."

Ni Qingfeng was also somewhat frightened at this moment. If he hadn't had enough self-control, he probably wouldn't have been able to withstand the illusion created by the Dragon Ball.

"Shangguan Yun is deeply entrenched in demonic nature and cannot escape the Dragon Pearl. The only way is to constantly suppress the Dragon Pearl with the Dragon Pearl, which is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst. Once a Dragon Pearl is destroyed, the Dragon Pearls will not be able to complete the cycle, and in the end, it will bring disaster upon himself."

Shangguan Yun currently has three Dragon Balls, which is the most stable time for him. If we were to give him another one...

Ni Qingfeng's mind raced, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Shangguan Yun was no short-sighted person. If he obtained the Dragon Balls, he would surely take advantage of his strongest moment to eliminate any obstacles in his path, giving him ample time to search for the remaining Dragon Balls.

"It would be best to destroy this Dragon Ball completely. I just hope that Chamulong can find the Cleansing Pool successfully."

Meanwhile, in the guesthouse, Xue Wanshan and Shen Henian stood one in front of the other, their palms pressed against Cha Muxue's body. Two identical streams of true energy flowed continuously through Cha Muxue's body, finally clearing her meridians and reaching her dantian. The two streams of true energy trembled slightly, and then the Tai Chi Locking Yuan technique was activated, directly absorbing the two streams of powerful true energy into her body. The originally weakened seal began to operate again.

Seeing the golden light on Xue'er recede again, Chamulong breathed a sigh of relief.

"Chief Chamu, your son is exceptionally talented, but his martial arts skills are mediocre. If he can learn martial arts, he may be able to suppress his own abilities with the help of the dragon pearl within him in the future."

Xue Wanshan withdrew his hands and slowly stood up. It's better to guide than to block. The passive sealing would cause considerable harm to Xue'er's body. Moreover, he had just realized that Xue'er's limbs and bones were fully connected and that she was naturally gifted with intelligence and possessed incredible mysteries. With diligent practice, given time, she could easily reach the Innate Realm, and she might even be able to go further and reach the legendary Void Shattering Realm.

Cha Mulong was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. Looking at his still unconscious son, Cha Mulong pondered for a long while, then sighed and said, "Xue'er has been physically weak since childhood. I was afraid that practicing martial arts would damage his vital energy, so I never taught him any of the clan's martial arts. Who knew that fate is unpredictable? The Dragon Pearl entering his body changed his constitution."

"I originally wanted him to live a peaceful life, but now it seems that I was a bit selfish. Master Xue, the martial arts of my clan are too domineering and still somewhat incompatible with Xue'er. I have heard that your sect is descended from the Taoist lineage. I have a request that I hope Master Xue will grant."

Shen Henian's expression changed slightly upon hearing Cha Mulong's words, while Xue Wanshan flicked his whisk and stroked his beard, saying, "I understand the Cha Mu clan chief's intention. I can make an exception and pass on the first three levels of the sect's True Scripture to your son."

"Brother!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Henian's expression changed again. The True Scripture of the Profound Realm was the supreme martial art of the Tianshan Sect. Apart from the sect leader and Fu Tianjiao, no one else in the entire Tianshan Sect was qualified to learn it. Cha Muxue was not a member of the Tianshan Sect, so it was highly inappropriate for her to teach this scripture. The elders would not agree to it either.

"I have my own ideas about this matter. Junior brother, you don't need to say more. I will explain things to the elders."

Although Xue Wanshan's tone was calm, it was unquestionable. Seeing this, Shen Henian could only helplessly agree, bowed again, and then turned and left the guesthouse.

"Once Xue'er wakes up, I will have Tianjiao personally teach him. Chief Chamu can rest assured."

"I'm grateful for everything, Daoist Master. As for this Venerable Xuanwu, I wonder what he is..."

"Xuanwu was severely injured, and only the true energy transferred by Junior Brother Ni kept him alive. It will take a long time for him to regain consciousness, and the preparations are also quite complicated. For now, Tianshan Sect can only try its best to maintain his life. We will make further plans after we resolve the Zhongxin Hall matter."

"That's fine then. I have other important matters to attend to now, so I'll leave Xue'er in your care."

Cha Mulong felt that placing Xue'er in the Tianshan Sect was the best choice. Next, he planned to go to the Qilian Mountain Dragon's Lair to find the Pure Pool. Previously, Shangguan Yun and others had broken into the Dragon's Lair and killed the dragon with gunpowder, causing the Dragon's Lair to collapse. He wondered if the Pure Pool still existed. If it could be preserved, that would be best. Otherwise, he would have to deal with Shangguan Yun and seal the Dragon Pearls away, never letting them appear in front of the world again.

Xue Wanshan didn't ask him what it was about, but simply bowed respectfully. Cha Mulong returned the bow, glanced at Cha Muxue, and then turned and left, heading down the mountain.

(End of this chapter)