A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 321 A First Test of the Sword Formation

When Shangguan Yun saw Xue Wanshan's whisk coming, his expression became slightly more serious. Although Xue Wanshan had not yet reached the Innate Realm, he was only a step away from it. He was still much higher than the Xuan Chi Master, not to mention that he had gained some benefits from the Dragon Pearl. If he made a mistake, he would inevitably suffer some losses.

Seeing the whisk swirling like a silver river, Shangguan Yun neither dodged nor avoided it, standing directly in front of it. He lightly clenched his right hand, and a ball of crimson-black light appeared. With the previous bang, a black hole suddenly appeared half a zhang away from Shangguan Yun, deep and quiet, collapsing inward. The whisk that attacked was uncontrollably heading towards the black hole. Xue Wanshan's expression changed slightly when he saw this. He exerted force on his wrist, and a silver light flashed on the whisk. With a bang, it exploded out of thin air. The silver river of light that the whisk had created and the black hole disappeared at the same time.

The air surged and dust filled the air. Although it was just a probing move, Xue Wanshan's heart sank. He had used almost 70% of his strength and only had a slight advantage. But looking at Shangguan Yun's relaxed appearance, he had only used 30% of his strength at most. This battle was really not going to be easy.

"Sect Leader Xue, what do you think of the Xuanming Void Seal that I recently mastered?"

Shangguan Yun swept away the turbid air in front of him with a wave of his sleeve, and looked at Xue Wanshan with a calm expression. Upon hearing this, the latter said in a deep voice: "Hall Master Shangguan's skill is profound, and I am ashamed to admit that I am inferior to him. However, the most taboo thing in the path of martial arts is to take a wrong turn. Although that move just now was extremely powerful, it has already gone astray. If this continues, it will surely erode your mind and turn you into a murderous maniac. Is this what Hall Master Shangguan is pursuing?"

Although Xue Wanshan could not be called a Taoist master, his knowledge of Taoist scriptures was quite profound. The Xuanming Kongyin was strange and eerie, without any righteous energy. Moreover, its all-consuming aura did not conform to the Taoist principle of Yin and Yang. It only took in and did not give out, and it would cause problems sooner or later.

"There's no need for Sect Leader Xue to trouble himself with that. I have already achieved the Innate Realm. As long as I subdue your Tianshan Sect and fulfill one of my wishes, this problem will be resolved sooner or later. Sect Leader Xue, out of consideration for our acquaintance, I am willing to give the Tianshan Sect another chance. As long as your sect submits to my Zhongxin Hall, Tianshan only needs to be renamed the Tianshan Branch of Zhongxin Hall, and you can continue to be the Sect Leader of Tianshan. What do you say?"

After Shangguan Yun finished speaking, his gaze was fixed on Xue Wanshan.

Upon hearing this, Bi Yusheng and the others remained expressionless. Shangguan Yun's words were merely meant to deceive those with short-sighted vision. Xue Wanshan, as the leader of a sect, would certainly not be so short-sighted. This was practically undermining the foundation of the Tianshan Sect.

"The Tianshan Sect's centuries-old foundation must not be lost in my hands. I cannot bear the blame. Hall Master Shangguan, let's be frank. There's no point in saying more. If you want to subdue the Tianshan Sect, then we'll have to see if you have the strength."

Xue Wanshan's gaze turned slightly cold. He put away his whisk, took the sect leader's sword from Shen Henian, and slowly drew the long sword with his right hand. As a cold light flashed, Xue Wanshan's eyes gleamed. His clone took to the air, and a sword cry rang out. Bi Yusheng and the others saw three sword energies attack Shangguan Yun in a triangular formation, and then condensed into an incomparably dazzling sword light before reaching Shangguan Yun's body.

"One Sword, Three Purities Technique!"

Bi Yusheng exclaimed in surprise, and the Black and White Heroes also showed shock. This sword technique, the Three Pure Techniques, is a secret of the Tianshan Sect that can only be learned by the Tianshan Sect Leader. In terms of difficulty, this sword technique ranks among the top three of the Tianshan Sect's ultimate skills, second only to the Seven Absolute Swords of Tianshan.

Seeing that Xue Wanshan had even used the Three Pure Ones Sword Technique, Shangguan Yun knew that there was no room for negotiation. He snorted coldly and unleashed another Xuanming Void Seal with his right hand. However, to Shangguan Yun's surprise, the sharp sword light seemed to be unimpeded as soon as the Xuanming Void Seal blocked his way, piercing through the black hole and rushing straight towards Shangguan Yun.

Shen Henian and Li Dengping were overjoyed to see their senior brother, the sect leader, break the Xuanming Void Seal with a single, powerful sword strike. However, they were also puzzled as to why the all-encompassing Xuanming Seal had no effect on the Three Pure Techniques sword strike.

"Although it seemed like Sect Leader Xue made one move just now, he actually thrust out nine swords at an extremely fast speed. Because each sword was very continuous, as soon as one sword was swallowed, another sword was born. He forcibly tore through the black hole by combining the three forces of speed and power. Sect Leader Xue's martial arts skills have truly broadened my horizons."

Seemingly sensing Shen Henian and the others' confusion, Bi Yusheng offered a brief explanation. After hearing the explanation, Shen Henian and Li Dengping only felt that their senior brother's skill was profound and did not think about anything else. However, these words were like a thunderclap to the ears of sword masters like the Black and White Duo.

Looking at the dazzling sword light in front of him, Lu Aotian couldn't help but feel admiration.

"Sect Leader Xue is unassuming, yet he surprised us with such a feat right away. His swordsmanship has reached such a level that I am truly ashamed of myself."

Lu Aotian thought to himself that if he were to encounter Shangguan Yun's Xuanming Seal, he would definitely not fight it head-on, otherwise he would be worn down to death by this move.

Seeing the Xuanming Seal broken by Xue Wanshan's sword light, Shangguan Yun was not surprised but delighted. He had only recently mastered the Xuanming Seal and was looking for its weaknesses. Xue Wanshan had done him a great favor. As the sword light tore through the protective barrier, Shangguan Yun shouted. When the protective barrier shattered, a crimson-black aura enveloped his body. The incomparably sharp sword light struck it, as if it had struck a wad of cotton. It was weak and unaffected, and the sword's momentum was slowly dissolved by the soft force.

The sword light only held for a moment before gradually dimming. Shangguan Yun's aura trembled, shattering the sword light. Before Xue Wanshan could make another move, Shangguan Yun raised his hand high, and a crimson-black ball of light appeared in his palm. He then quickly threw it at Xue Wanshan, whose expression immediately changed upon seeing it.

"Spread out!"

As he spoke, Xue Wanshan advanced instead of retreating, his longsword flashing with silver light. His Zhengxuan True Qi surged rapidly, and a giant sword phantom appeared in front of him. He thrust the longsword forward, and the giant sword phantom collided with the crimson-black light sphere. A series of loud bangs rang out, and the dissipated energy pushed both sides apart. Although Xue Wanshan had warned them, several people from the Tianshan Sect were still a little slow to react and were grazed by the energy, falling to the ground and groaning.

Upon seeing this, Bi Yusheng and the Black and White Heroes immediately used their lightness skills to rescue the injured person. If even the scattered energy was so powerful, wouldn't the person be completely destroyed if they were caught in it?

The giant sword phantom clashed and fought with the crimson-black light sphere. Brilliant beams of light flashed and disappeared in an instant. However, after only a few breaths, the giant sword phantom was at a disadvantage, constantly being devoured by the crimson-black light. The huge sword body turned from white to crimson, and the cracking sound rang clearly in everyone's ears.

Shen Henian and Li Dengping both looked solemnly at the shattered phantom of the giant sword in the arena.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader is already at a disadvantage. Junior Sister, if things go wrong, immediately have Pei Duan and the others hold off Shangguan Yun and eliminate those he brought with him."

Li Dengping nodded, pressed her right hand on her longsword, and stared intently at the scene.

Xue Wanshan felt the immense energy coming from the other side and couldn't help but groan. He took several steps back. The giant sword phantom lost its true energy support and suddenly stopped. Then it was completely swallowed up by the crimson-black energy. After the crimson-black light ball shattered the giant sword phantom, it struck Xue Wanshan with unstoppable force.

Upon seeing this, Xue Wanshan's expression changed slightly. He held his longsword horizontally, and with a slash of his left hand, a bright silver light appeared, shooting towards the crimson-black ball of light like lightning. At the same time, he transformed into several phantoms and retreated rapidly backward.

The silver sword light was worn away after only half a breath when it touched the crimson-black light orb, which not only bought Xue Wanshan time, but also caused the crimson-black light orb to explode in mid-air under Shangguan Yun's control. The scattered light rays flew like sharp arrows and rained down on the Tianshan Sect members.

Xue Wanshan's several phantoms, positioned at the forefront, were scattered like bubbles by the burst of energy. Bi Yusheng, sensing the immense power contained within the energy arrows, was startled and hastily retreated. He gathered his true energy, waving his folding fan repeatedly, unleashing several gusts of wind that swept away the incoming energy arrows. Seeing this, the Black and White Heroes also attacked simultaneously. Lu Aotian and Lü Fengming combined their swords, weaving an impenetrable black and white sword net that firmly protected a three-zhang radius around them. The sounds of clashing energy could be heard outside, causing the sword net to shake violently, and the originally bright sword light gradually dimmed.

Having been warned beforehand, the others quickly took action and blocked the gradually weakening energy arrow. After a short while, the energy arrow gradually disappeared, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Bi Yusheng looked at the small hole in his sleeve and couldn't help but feel lucky. If he hadn't dodged quickly, the attack would have hit his arm. Looking at the pitted and corroded ground, he could imagine the consequences if he had been hit.

The Lu couple were also shocked. Shangguan Yun's move alone forced them to use their full strength. If they had used their full strength, they would have been defeated in just a few moves. Looking at the composed Shangguan Yun, the Lu couple's faces were ashen.

"Brother!"

Shen Henian and Li Dengping saw Xue Wanshan standing with his sword and hurriedly stepped forward.

"It's nothing." Xue Wanshan waved his hand, relieved to see that Shen Henian and the others were unharmed.

"Why did Hall Master Shangguan show mercy?"

Xue Wanshan clearly realized that Shangguan Yun had not used his full strength, otherwise he would not have been able to block it so easily and remain unharmed.

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed. For Xue Wanshan to say such a thing, Shangguan Yun must have used more than half of his strength. Bi Yusheng and the other two looked at Shangguan Yun with shock.

"Sect Leader Xue, if I want to subdue your Tianshan Sect, I will naturally have to make you show your strongest trump card. I have heard that your Tianshan Sect has a set of Tianshan Seven Absolute Sword Formation, which is famous in the martial arts world. Why don't you let me see it and see if it is just a name without substance?"

Upon hearing that Shangguan Yun wanted to test the sword formation, Xue Wanshan's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He held his longsword upside down, stepped forward slowly, bowed to Shangguan Yun, and said solemnly, "It is certainly permissible for Hall Master Shangguan to test the sword formation. However, Hall Master Shangguan must agree to one condition: no outsiders shall interfere during the challenge. What do you say?"

"Of course, I agree. Sect Leader Xue, let's set up the formation!"

Shangguan Yun readily agreed, but only he knew what he was thinking. Xue Wanshan didn't say anything more, turned around and went back to his side. He said a few words to Shen Henian, who nodded, glanced at Shangguan Yun, and entered the mountain gate. Soon after, a large group of disciples came out, led by the Seven Heroes of Tianshan.

"Tianjiao, Hall Master Shangguan wants to test your sword formation. You should learn from your senior and see if it will help you improve your sword formation skills. Go."

Upon hearing this, Fu Tianjiao immediately understood. After bowing to Xue Wanshan, she led her junior brothers and sisters to Shangguan Yun.

"Senior Shangguan, please forgive me!"

Shangguan Yun saw that the Seven Heroes of Tianshan were all powerful and well-trained, clearly skilled in cultivation. Even the weakest among them, Zhang Yong, was at the level of Jiang Che, while the strongest, Fu Tianjiao, was comparable to Zhao Kai. Each of these seven was a formidable force on their own, and with the added strength of the sword formation, their power would be immense.

Thinking of this, Shangguan Yun felt not only no fear, but also a strong desire to try. The Tianshan Sect was proud of its sword formation. If he could defeat them at their strongest point and break them mentally, how wonderful that would be.

"You guys make your move."

Shangguan Yun, considering himself a senior and a master of innate cultivation, felt he had to be mindful of his status when facing these juniors and disdained to take the initiative.

Upon hearing this, Fu Tianjiao expressed her gratitude and waved her hand. In the blink of an eye, Zhao Kai and the other six moved and formed a battle formation, arranged in three groups of three. Only the main position at the front was vacant. Fu Tianjiao moved her feet lightly, a gentle breeze blew by, and she stepped onto the main position, filling the last gap.

"Senior Shangguan, please."

As soon as Fu Tianjiao finished speaking, a strange connection suddenly formed between the seven people. The swords were not drawn, but everyone present could hear clear and melodious sword sounds. These sword sounds were powerful and resounding, shaking the heavens, like thousands of rivers and waterfalls flowing gently, like Mount Song standing firm and unyielding. Moreover, the sword formation resonated together, and its momentum gradually increased. Just as the sword momentum was about to reach its peak, Shangguan Yun moved.

Shangguan Yun had no choice but to act at this moment. When he was gathering power for the sword strike, he felt a binding force descend upon him. As time passed, the binding force grew stronger and stronger. If he didn't act soon, Shangguan Yun instinctively sensed that something was wrong.

A fierce palm wind swept towards the sword formation like a dragon. This palm was only intended to break the sword's momentum and was also a test move. Its power was acceptable, but it was still a bit of a stretch to deal with the sword formation.

Bi Yusheng and the others had no idea what Shangguan Yun was planning, so they all kept their eyes fixed on what was in front of them.

Seeing this, Fu Tianjiao dared not be careless in the slightest. Without drawing her longsword, the seven of them simultaneously used the starting stance of the Seven Absolute Swords of Tianshan. The seven sword energies converged into one, forming a white light sword energy, which collided with the palm wind. Instantly, the air waves surged, and the sword energy and palm wind disappeared at the same time. When the dust settled, both sides were unharmed, but Fu Tianjiao's side was even stronger.

Shangguan Yun looked at the remaining smoke and dust in front of him, swept it away with a wave of his sleeve, and said in a deep voice: "What a fine Seven Deadly Formations of Tianshan! With just this first move, it can be considered the number one formation in the world."

Although he praised her, his hands did not stop moving. Shangguan Yun had already made a probing move and roughly judged the strength of the opponent's sword formation, so he made another move with the Xuanming Void Seal.

I got back late today, so I'll stop here for now.

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(End of this chapter)