A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 318 A complete defeat

Night, an unnamed valley
Master Xuanchi and the others were forced out by the gale-force winds unleashed by Shangguan Yun. Although everyone tried their best to remain calm, some were still shaken by the bloody scene just now.

Lady Wang, the Queen of the Seven Fiends Qin, stood on one foot, her qin horizontal in front of her. Her jade-like face was slightly cold as she lightly plucked the strings. A melody as swift as flowing water filled the air, drawing everyone's attention. Master Xuanchi nodded to Lady Wang, took a few steps forward, and stood about ten feet away from Shangguan Yun. He bowed slightly to him and said in a deep voice, "Hall Master Shangguan, we have come here tonight for the Dragon Pearl. If Hall Master Shangguan could lend it to us, I would be eternally grateful. If there is any need for us in the future, I will do my best to help. Otherwise, don't blame us for asking you for a few pointers."

Hearing the combined soft and hard tactics of Master Xuanchi, Shangguan Yun's wicked face revealed a hint of mockery. He looked at the group of clowns in front of him with his hands behind his back and said in a light tone, "Looking around, only the four of you have any real skills. If you are willing to serve under this hall master, I might be able to lend you the Dragon Pearl. However, judging from the Pingling Sword Master's intentions, things are probably not going to work out."

"Shangguan Yun, don't think that just because you're the leader of the martial arts alliance, we won't dare to deal with you. No matter how strong you are individually, you can't withstand our combined efforts. If you know what's good for you, hand over the Dragon Pearl right now, otherwise, your life will be in danger, and your Zhongxin Hall will be doomed. I've long heard that Madam Shangguan and Miss Shangguan are exceptionally beautiful. I wonder if we have the good fortune to be with them, hahaha..."

"court death!"

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yun's eyes turned slightly cold. Without making any move, the person who had uttered those foul words was still gloating when a leaf slit his throat. His eyes widened, and he pointed a trembling finger at Shangguan Yun before falling to the ground in resentment. In the instant he fell, his body was suddenly dismembered, turning a patch of open ground crimson.

"Eight Absolute Techniques, excellent skill."

Master Xuanchi's pupils narrowed slightly as he looked at Shangguan Yun with a hint of apprehension. This skill was always easy to learn but difficult to master. To be able to unleash such power with just a leaf, Shangguan Yun's skill had reached a level of profound mastery.

Shangguan Yun's move did indeed make some wavering individuals want to back down, but when they saw Xuan Chi Shangren and the other two gradually move in and surround Shangguan Yun, their fear was suppressed by their greed for the Dragon Pearl.

Since Madam Wang's close combat skills were slightly weaker, Master Xuanchi arranged for her to stay at a distance and use the Seven Fiends Qin music to disturb Shangguan Yun's mind, creating an opportunity for the three of them. As for the lives of the others, they were not within Master Xuanchi's concern.

Shangguan Yun deliberately had everyone set up a formation, then calmly looked at Xuan Chi Shangren with disdain in his eyes. After all, these people were a hodgepodge, and although each of them was strong, their teamwork was not as good as his Zhongxin Hall, let alone the Tianshan Sect, which was famous in the martial arts world for its formations.

If these rabble were to clash with the sword formation of the Tianshan Sect, you might gain the upper hand in the short term due to your own strength, but in the long run, you would be completely defeated.

"Master Shangguan, please forgive me."

Seeing Shangguan Yun's confidence, Master Xuanchi felt a little uneasy. However, now that things had come to this, he could only keep going. He was determined to get the Dragon Pearl. As he spoke, a black palm wind was blasted towards Shangguan Yun. The palm wind was sinister and cold, with a slightly fishy and bloody smell. This palm was Master Xuanchi's famous technique, "Black Fiend Palm".

As Master Xuanchi unleashed his palm strike, Xue Dian and Qiu Feng also made their moves. The two simultaneously unleashed a punch and a sword strike, with black palm winds, swirling fist energy, and sharp sword light attacking from three directions at the same time. At the same time, a strange zither melody approached from afar, like swirling water or a vast mountain wilderness, falling into everyone's ears without any discernible order.

Master Xuanchi's side had made prior preparations, plugging their ears with cotton and temporarily sealing their acupoints with their true energy. In addition, since the zither music was mainly aimed at Shangguan Yun, their combat strength was not greatly affected. Seeing Master Xuanchi and the other three make their move, some people also made their moves. Strengths of energy and hidden weapons were thrown at Shangguan Yun.

Shangguan Yun's body faltered slightly, seemingly affected by the Seven Fiends Zither music. The sharp sword light preemptively slashed Shangguan Yun's arm, and the blood was sealed by the sword energy before it could flow out. Xue Dian, who was standing to the side, immediately lit up his eyes. Taking advantage of the fact that the first punch's force had not dissipated, he threw another punch. He put all his strength into this move, and it exploded in the air with a whooshing sound. The whistling wind made everyone who was not affected by the zither music turn pale, and two streams of blood flowed from their noses.

Shangguan Yun, jolted back to reality by the pain of Qiu Feng's sword strike, saw the Black Fiend Palm Qi and two fist energies approaching. With a deep shout, a crimson-black aura appeared. The Black Fiend Palm Qi struck it and immediately shattered. However, although the palm Qi dispersed, it covered the aura, continuously eroding the aura. In the blink of an eye, the aura was eroded into a thin layer. Other killing moves and hidden weapons further weakened the aura. Xue Dian's two fist energies finally arrived, and the aura shattered. Shangguan Yun was thrown back by the force and took a step back, trying to dissipate the force. But at that moment, as the aura shattered, a second fist energy pierced through the air waves and struck Shangguan Yun's chest.

Shangguan Yun's expression changed slightly; this Yin-Yang Reversal Technique was indeed beyond the comprehension of ordinary logic.

"To reverse yin and yang, to find righteousness amidst chaos—this old man has already attained the essence of this skill."

Seeing the opportunity, Shangguan Yun pushed forward with his right hand, and a Golden Palm Qi directly met the attack. Although the fist force was powerful, it was like a thin piece of paper under the Golden Palm Qi and was instantly torn apart. The palm Qi did not slow down and rushed straight towards Xue Dian. Upon seeing this, the latter's expression became more solemn. He was surprised that his move was so ineffective. He had no time to think and moved his figure instantly, retreating about 10 feet.

As Xue Dian retreated, the palm strike was blocked by Qiu Feng on the left. Sword lights crisscrossed and flashed, and after a moment of brightness and darkness, the domineering Golden Palm energy was shattered. As Qiu Feng broke the move with his sword, Xuan Chi Shangren had already closed in, his hands surging with black energy, trying to take advantage of Shangguan Yun's lack of momentum to pull him into his rhythm. In this way, with the advantage of numbers, he could wear Shangguan Yun down. However, what Xuan Chi Shangren did not expect was that just as his Black Fiend Palm was about to strike Shangguan Yun's chest, he only saw Shangguan Yun's mocking eyes, and at the same time, an aura that made his hair stand on end suddenly appeared.

Realizing something was wrong, Master Xuanchi's expression changed drastically. He immediately withdrew his palm to protect himself, and a black light flashed in his hand. He gripped the three-foot-long dark iron ruler in his hand and swept it forward with all his might, sending a black energy beam towards Shangguan Yun.

Seeing that Master Xuanchi had drawn his weapon so quickly, Madam Wang, who was assisting from afar, knew that the situation was dire. She quickly plucked the strings, changing the previous soothing and calming melody into a sound of killing intent. Waves of murderous music surged toward Shangguan Yun. In Shangguan Yun's eyes, the music transformed into soldiers in armor, wielding spears, charging toward him with murderous intent.

"The sound of the zither takes form."

With a flick of his sleeve, Shangguan Yun unleashed a gust of wind that swallowed the aura emitted by Xuan Chi Shangren. With a clenched fist in his left hand, a crimson-black aura, like a flame, was flung forward with a deep shout. It suddenly exploded in mid-air, scattering into a sky full of black fire, falling like falling stars. It first destroyed the soldiers and generals, and then fell towards everyone present.

"spread!"

Master Xuanchi's expression changed drastically. He roared at the crowd. Although he didn't care much about their lives, he didn't want to be killed by Shangguan Yun so easily.

There was something wrong with the black flames. He could sense an aura of annihilation from them. If he got involved, he would either die or be seriously injured.

Upon hearing this, everyone present quickly dodged, but about half of them were a step too slow to react, and by the time they realized what was happening, they were covered in black flames.

The faint flames instantly flared up upon contact with a person, engulfing them completely. The person screamed in agony, and after a few breaths, all those who had been affected were reduced to a pile of black ash. A gust of wind swept them away, leaving the area much more open.

"What vicious sorcery!"

Master Xuanchi and the other two looked at Shangguan Yun with horror in their eyes. The black flames were almost beyond the scope of ordinary martial arts. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed it.

"It must be because of the Dragon Ball!" Qiu Feng, the swordsman of Pingling, looked at Shangguan Yun with burning eyes and murmured.

Upon hearing this, Master Xuanchi and Xue Dian also showed greed in their eyes. If they obtained the Dragon Pearl, they would become such people, and given time, they would surely become the number one martial artist.

Not only Xuan Chi Shangren and his group, but even some of the survivors looked at Shangguan Yun with greedy eyes, as if the tragic scene just now was just an illusion.

"The Dragon Balls are mine!"

A middle-aged man with a gun watched Shangguan Yun walk slowly towards him. He then frantically thrust his gun at Shangguan Yun. His action was like lighting a fuse. Immediately, a group of people rushed forward with their weapons. The sounds of fighting filled the air, desires surged, and everyone's eyes turned bloodshot.

Seeing this, Shangguan Yun sneered, gathered his qi, and shouted. A round object emitting a crimson-black aura slowly emerged from his body. Upon its appearance, the martial artists immediately stopped in their tracks, their eyes fixed on the dragon pearl. "The Dragon Pearl!"

Master Xuanchi and the others stared at the Dragon Pearl with burning eyes, wishing they could snatch it back immediately. However, when they saw someone with considerable lightness skills reach out to grab it, they were enveloped by the aura. In less than half a breath, their flesh and blood disappeared, leaving only a pitch-black skeleton that fell from mid-air and scattered into a pile of bone fragments.

"Recall your focus!"

Master Xuanchi, being a master with one foot in the Innate Realm, was the first to pull himself out of the temptation of the Dragon Pearl. Looking at Xue Dian, Qiu Feng, and the others who were still obsessed, he immediately transmitted a "Calming Mind Mantra" full of true energy to everyone's ears. Coupled with the Seven Fiends Qin music coming from afar, a small number of people with relatively good willpower immediately woke up.

"Indeed, it is a divinely bestowed treasure, which is rightfully mine to possess."

As the Dragon Pearl devoured the life force and essence of the two, the Xuan Chi Master watched as its aura gradually subsided. He first transmitted a few words to Madam Wang, then flicked his iron ruler. A dark, ghostly light flashed, and a "Ruler Slashes Heaven and Earth" technique struck Shangguan Yun. The iron ruler sliced ​​through the air, causing the void to tremble, attempting to sever the connection between the Dragon Pearl and Shangguan Yun. This move was the essence of the "Ruler of Fixed Rules," and one could not reach such a level without decades of arduous cultivation.

Just as Master Xuanchi made his move, the sound of a zither rang out again from afar. When Madam Wang saw that Shangguan Yun had taken out the Dragon Clan, she knew that the opportunity was not to be missed. She immediately began to play her most skillful move, the "Seven Fiends Heavenly Arrow." This move was a technique that used true qi to refine silk and zither music to condense arrows. As long as the true qi remained, it could surely produce thousands of flying arrows to attack and kill the opponent.

Master Xuanchi and Madam Wang attacked together. Qiu Feng and Xue Dian exchanged a glance and also joined the attack from the left and right, each using their own methods to block Shangguan Yun's retreat. Other opportunists, seeing this, thought they had a chance and rushed to grab the Dragon Pearl.

"A bunch of idiots!"

Master Xuanchi sneered inwardly. But it was fine. These people could buy him some time. As long as he cut off the connection between the Dragon Pearl and Shangguan Yun, he could take the Dragon Pearl back without any worries. The black light of the iron ruler struck Shangguan Yun directly, and the sound of the zither became even louder. Those with weaker skills immediately felt dizzy and their bodies felt like lead.

Shangguan Yun glanced at the black light of the iron ruler that was coming towards him, and a flash of red light appeared on his hand. He struck a person in mid-air with a cinnabar palm. The person's body went limp and fell down immediately. Before he even hit the ground, a gust of wind lifted his corpse up and rushed towards the black light of the iron ruler.

A shattering sound rang out, and the corpse was pulverized by the black light, with blood and flesh falling everywhere. Everyone present was shocked, and their previously fanatical thoughts suddenly cleared. Some clever people saw the scene before them and immediately shouted angrily, grabbing their weapons and attacking Shangguan Yun.

"They've got some skills, not bad."

Shangguan Yun's eyes lit up when he saw the middle-aged man with the knife. Sensing the attacks from the left and right, he flicked his sleeve, and two streaks of crimson and black light flashed by. Xue Dian and Qiu Feng each groaned and took two steps back to dissipate the force.

After forcing the two back, Shangguan Yun frowned and coldly looked at Madam Wang in the distance. His eyes sharpened, and he casually drew a fine steel soft sword from his waist. He poured his true energy into it, let out a deep shout, and the long sword straightened. The clear sword sound was very distinct in the silence. The clear light was like water, and the fierce cold light was like fire.

When Master Xuanchi's ultimate move failed, he was about to use another method when he saw Shangguan Yun take out a weapon. He was startled and when he saw Shangguan Yun staring at Madam Wang, he could no longer care about anything else. He flipped over and landed several feet away from Madam Wang, looking at Shangguan Yun with a sinister gaze.

“Madam Wang, if Shangguan Yun wants to deal with you, you only need to use your zither music to suppress him. The rest is up to the three of us. We must obtain the Dragon Pearl this time, or we will never have another chance.”

After Master Xuanchi transmitted his voice to Madam Wang and the other two, they all agreed. Watching Shangguan Yun gather his sword energy, the four of them quickly arranged their formation.

Knowing that the critical moment had arrived, Madam Wang swiftly plucked a string, and the originally high-pitched sound became very low, eerie, and sinister. An evil aura suddenly arose, and the survivors felt a sudden chill rise in their bodies, as if they had entered an ice cave, and they couldn't stop shivering.

"The sixth level of the Seven Killings Zither Sound: Cold Bones."

Shangguan Yun was surprised that this mere woman, Madam Wang, could master the Seven Fiends Melody to the second-to-last level. He couldn't help but stare at her intently. Although the melody caused him minimal harm, he couldn't underestimate her. Otherwise, if she made such a move at a crucial moment, it might give Master Xuanchi and the other two an opportunity.

"It was definitely the right decision to subdue you first."

Seeing that the three masters, including Master Xuanchi, were blocking Madam Wang in a triangular formation, Shangguan Yun gathered his sword energy while retrieving the dragon pearl from mid-air.

At this moment, Shangguan Yun had already gathered his sword momentum to its peak. With a slight release of his hand, the fine steel soft sword shot towards Madam Wang like lightning. The sword blade emitted a cold light, flashing and sparking. People along the way were completely cut off with just a slight touch of the sword light, leaving not a trace. Everyone only saw a trail of sparks behind them. Watching those people instantly turn into dust, even the greediest among them were terrified and turned pale.

Seeing the sword light was so powerful, everyone else quickly moved aside, leaving only Master Xuanchi and his two companions at the forefront. The three of them each erected a protective aura, with black, white, and gray auras intertwining and forming a unified whole. At the same time, Master Xuanchi took out a dark stone bead the size of a thumb from his robes. As soon as he took it out, Qiu Feng was horrified to find that his longsword was flying uncontrollably toward that spot. Seeing this, Qiu Feng hurriedly poured in his true energy and managed to sheath the longsword with great effort.

Just then, the steel longsword was less than ten feet away from the three of them. Master Xuanchi took one last reluctant look at the stone bead, and then flung it in the direction the longsword was moving.

"Master, could this be a magnet?"

Qiu Feng looked at the unremarkable stone bead with surprise, and Xue Dian, who was standing next to him, also looked over.

"It is the Yuan Magnet Mother, the finest among magnets. Anything made of copper or iron will lose most of its strength when it encounters it. Shangguan Yun is not easy to deal with, so hopefully this Yuan Magnet Mother can be of some use."

Master Xuanchi stared solemnly ahead. Just as the Yuan Magnet Mother and the steel longsword clashed, a mournful cry was heard. Then, everyone saw the steel longsword being crushed into a lump of scrap iron, which fell to the ground along with the Yuan Magnet Mother. At that moment, the weapons in the hands of the onlookers were uncontrollably pulled in. Some people wearing iron armor were especially unlucky. The magnetic force was so strong that it pulled people and their weapons together. Caught off guard, they were stabbed through the heart by the weapons that were pulled in. After all the commotion, there were fewer than two people left in the arena.

Neither Master Xuanchi nor Shangguan Yun had anticipated this situation. Shangguan Yun, in particular, was filled with regret. If he had known this would happen, why would he have bothered playing with them? If he had controlled these people, they would have been a formidable force.

Thinking of this, Shangguan Yun's eyes changed, and his aura was exposed to everyone without any concealment. A magnificent aura rose into the sky, and the crimson and black light shot straight into the clouds. Under the moonlight, Shangguan Yun was like a god or demon holding up the sky, looking down at the tiny people below.

"The innate realm!"

Master Xuanchi exclaimed in surprise, his face showing horror. As soon as he said this, Xue Dian and Qiu Feng ran away without saying a word. However, they had only run a few feet when a crimson-black aura enveloped them. Upon seeing this, they immediately begged Shangguan Yun for mercy.

"Master Shangguan, we are willing to surrender. Please spare our lives!"

However, their pleas for mercy went unanswered. Seeing that it was hopeless, they decided to fight to the death, but suddenly their heads slumped, their vision went black, and they lost consciousness.

After dealing with the two, Shangguan Yun reached out and flicked his hand. The light of the dragon pearl enveloped Madam Wang, who was almost powerless to resist and her mind was controlled. When the others saw that Madam Wang and the other two had been subdued one after another, they all kowtowed and begged for mercy. Shangguan Yun casually flicked his hand and subdued them all. Finally, he looked at Master Xuanchi.

(End of this chapter)