A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 323 Confrontation
Through the thin wisps of smoke and dust, Shangguan Yun looked at the tall figure. His eyes flashed with a crimson light. With a deep shout, he blasted a solid ball of light in his hand toward that figure. As the ball of light moved forward, the smoke and dust parted like waves, scattering to both sides and revealing the two figures hidden within.

Xue Wanshan had thought he was going to die at Shangguan Yun's hands, but suddenly a powerful but not domineering force surged into his body. His depleted true energy was restored to its peak as if he had taken a tonic. With a single sword strike, the powerful killing move was instantly broken.

"Junior brother!"

Xue Wanshan looked at the familiar figure in front of him and couldn't help but exclaim excitedly. Ni Qingfeng looked at the crimson-black ball of light coming towards him, waved his sleeve at Xue Wanshan, and a gust of wind pushed him away.

"The power of the Dragon Balls".

Ni Qingfeng watched calmly, pointed forward with one finger, and a beam of icy light, radiating a chilling aura, struck the object squarely. The moment the ball of light touched the icy light, it was immediately frozen. Moreover, after only a few breaths, the crimson-black flames within the frozen object extinguished at a visible speed, finally turning into a black dot of light, which shattered with a crack along with the ice shards.

"Ice Soul Cold Light, Ni Qingfeng, your emergence from seclusion at this time is a terrible mistake. With three Dragon Balls in hand, I am invincible from the start. No matter how strong you are, can you stand against the entire world?"

When Shangguan Yun saw that his killing move had been broken, he was not surprised at all. Instead, he acted as if it was a matter of course. If there was anyone in the entire martial arts world who could pose a threat to him, it was only Ni Qingfeng. Once he was dealt with, the rest were all worthless and easily defeated.

Although Ni Qingfeng defeated him with a single move, he instantly sensed from the clash of forces that Ni Qingfeng's internal energy was somewhat unstable, as if he had not fully recovered.

"Let's try a few more moves. If it's really as I expect, I'll kill him tonight, even if it comes at a price."

Shangguan Yun thought to himself, but Ni Qingfeng replied firmly, "Shangguan Yun, I have already said before that when you set foot on Tianshan, it will be the moment of your defeat and death. The Dragon Pearl never belonged to you. Now that you have forcibly refined it, you have already stepped into the demonic path. Even if I do not kill you, in half a year, you will end up with no trace of your body."

"Heh, I trust myself more than others. Your injuries haven't healed yet, and you still dare to act tough. Once I've dealt with you, I'll sweep away the Tianshan Mountains and complete the great task of unifying the martial arts world."

With old and new grudges accumulating, Shangguan Yun's aura surged, and the swirling crimson-black aura suddenly rushed forward, transforming into sharp arrows of energy that attacked Ni Qingfeng from different directions. Upon seeing this, Ni Qingfeng simply scooped up his hands, embracing yin and yang, and streams of both hard and soft energy quickly formed a protective shield. The black and white light flowed, resembling solidified jade and amber, shining brightly in the darkness and illuminating the surrounding area for about ten feet.

The energy arrows surged forth like a tidal wave, crashing into the energy shield. They were either deflected or scattered into wisps of mixed energy, instantly refined by the Yin-Yang power. After only a short while, the momentum of the energy arrows gradually subsided, while the black and white energy shield grew stronger and stronger, its coverage area constantly expanding. To Shangguan Yun's astonishment, the area around the mountain gate resembled a dome. The Tianshan Sect members, sheltered by the energy shield, all felt a warm current surge into their hearts, their internal energy gradually recovered, and their injuries continued to improve.

Those who came with Shangguan Yun were like people stuck in a quagmire. Their original strength of 90% was greatly weakened under these circumstances, and the more profound their cultivation, the greater the impact.

Master Xuanchi and Madam Wang joined forces to attack Biyusheng, one targeting his mind and the other his body. Although Biyusheng possessed extraordinary skill, he was in grave danger under the combined pressure of these two masters. Master Xuanchi had seen through the patterns of his Nine Palaces Steps, and he was momentarily distracted by the sound of the weapon's aura, causing his steps to falter. Master Xuanchi struck him on the shoulder, and if it weren't for his powerful internal energy that had deflected the attack, he would have been seriously injured. However, he was now in a precarious situation.

With a sweep of his fan, Bi Yusheng deflected Madam Wang's Hidden Sound Arrow technique. His figure shifted, and the folding fan collided with the iron ruler slashing horizontally from the side. The two forces trembled instantly, and Bi Yusheng's body flipped over, dissipating the force. Before he could even catch his breath, Madam Wang's Seven Fiends Qin music attacked like a bone-deep affliction.

A burst of emerald energy suddenly appeared in Bi Yusheng's hand, and a ball of azure light attacked Madam Wang like fine rain. Upon seeing this, Madam Wang's expression changed slightly, and she immediately stopped her movement as she was about to step forward. She swiftly plucked the strings, and the clear, resonant notes of the zither transformed into sound blades that collided with the emerald rain. The water exploded, and the zither strings snapped. Madam Wang's skill was ultimately slightly inferior, and she was sent flying backward. Her fair face flushed red, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Two of the seven zither strings snapped at once, and the power of the Seven Fiends Sound was greatly reduced.

After Bi Yusheng unleashed the Azure Wave Palm, he almost couldn't catch his breath. If he were in full victory, he could have used it more than ten times without any problem. However, he had really consumed a lot of his true energy in the several palm strikes with Master Xuanchi. Now, it was a pipe dream to unleash another palm strike.

Just then, taking advantage of Bi Yusheng's return to his true energy, Master Xuanchi flew towards Bi Yusheng like lightning. The iron ruler in his hand, infused with true energy, emitted a dense black light that almost covered his entire body. From a distance, it looked like a black cloud, about to engulf the blue figure.

Bi Yusheng sensed Xuan Chi Shangren's killing move and his expression changed slightly. Just as he was about to muster his last bit of true energy for a desperate fight, the dark sky suddenly brightened, and a surge of life force rushed into his dantian. Bi Yusheng was secretly alarmed, then exclaimed with relief. Feeling his rapidly recovering true energy, Bi Yusheng looked at Xuan Chi Shangren charging towards him, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. He closed his folding fan, gathering his strength to unleash it. Just as Xuan Chi Shangren was within three feet of him, Bi Yusheng shouted in a deep voice, retracting his folding fan into his sleeve. His right hand, emerald green, sat in meditation, and his full-force Azure Wave Palm strike met the black light head-on!
With a deafening roar, the black cloud that Xuan Chi Shangren had transformed into shattered under the force of the Azure Wave Palm, revealing Xuan Chi Shangren hidden within. At this moment, his body was already battered and broken, both arms severed, and his chest caved in. However, before Xuan Chi Shangren could even hit the ground, the residual force of the Azure Wave Palm surged like waves, one after another, continuously crashing against Xuan Chi Shangren's broken body. After only a few breaths, Xuan Chi Shangren's body finally gave way. After a series of sounds, blood rained down from the sky. With a clang, the twisted, dark iron ruler was stuck in the ground, covered with a mass of bloody, gooey substance.

Bi Yusheng was panting heavily, her face pale but her spirits high. She had used all her true energy to strike with all her might, and it had not disappointed her. This Xuan Chi Shangren had already stepped into the Xiantian realm with one foot in the door. If she had used the usual strategy to deal with him, based on her martial arts skills, the worst that would have been a draw would have been a mutual defeat. But now, the result of one dying and one being injured was the best outcome.

Just as Bi Yusheng forcefully killed Xuan Chi Shangren, Madam Wang, who was not far away, was already terrified. Ignoring Shangguan Yun's threat, she was about to leave with her zither, but unexpectedly, two sword lights rushed from the side, blocking her way from the front and back. Madam Wang's face changed drastically, and she hurriedly played music, but two of her zither strings broke. With only the five notes, she could not pose any threat to the Black and White Heroes. She only held on for a moment, and with a miserable scream, Madam Wang was beheaded by a sword light. Even her precious zither was cut to pieces.

Just as the Black and White Heroes and Bi Yusheng joined forces to defeat Madam Wang, Li Dengping and Shen Henian on the other side also pierced Xue Dian's chest with their swords, and the latter died before he could regain his senses.

After dealing with the leaders, Bi Yusheng and the others glanced at the fight between Ni Qingfeng and Shangguan Yun. Judging that there wouldn't be any problems for the time being, they all joined other battle groups to assist the Tianshan disciples in dealing with the remaining dozen or so enemies.

These people initially had a slight advantage, but the appearance of the Tianshan Sword Formation separated them, causing their strength to be dispersed. In the first exchange, several people were caught off guard and were cut down by Pei Duan and the others. Later, due to Shangguan Yun's power, the Tianshan disciples were forced to shrink their sword circles, which put them at a disadvantage. However, after Ni Qingfeng appeared, the disciples became excited and immediately focused their energy to fight the enemy.

"Master, Third Uncle!"

Cheng Feng watched as Shen Henian and Li Dengping approached with their swords. With a swift movement, the two skilled fighters trapped in the sword formation were slashed by a flash of sword light, their weapons snapped, their bodies severed, and blood flowed all over the ground, instantly turning the bluestone slab black.

"Leave this to us, go help Pei Duan and the others." Shen Henian held his longsword across his chest, looked at the three more people surrounding him, gave the order to Cheng Feng, and with a flash of his sword, stopped two of them, while Li Dengping stopped the third. Cheng Feng responded and immediately led his fellow disciples towards another sword formation, but by the time they arrived, Pei Duan and the others had already severely injured the four people trapped in the formation.

Upon seeing Cheng Feng and the others appear, Pei Duan's eyes lit up. He immediately transmitted a message to his five junior brothers. Then, the five-person sword formation revealed a slight flaw, and the four trapped in the formation immediately fled towards the open door. However, just when they thought they had escaped, three of them froze and then collapsed to the ground. The remaining one stared unfocusedly at the gleaming sword at his throat, his head lolled to the side, and he died.

With the help of Ni Qingfeng's Yin-Yang power, the Tianshan Sect displayed its might. In a short while, Shangguan Yun's subordinates were almost completely wiped out, leaving only two or three struggling. However, it seemed that their defeat and death were only a matter of time.

"They're all a bunch of useless trash!"

Shangguan Yun was competing with Ni Qingfeng in internal strength. Seeing Xuan Chi Shangren and the others die, he cursed inwardly, thinking it was a waste of his use of the Dragon Pearl's power to improve their cultivation.

“Even though Ni Qingfeng’s injuries haven’t healed, he still has such skill. We underestimated him before. Since we can’t win in an internal strength contest, we’ll use technique to suppress him.”

Shangguan Yun looked at the black and white aura covering the surrounding area, his eyes flashing with crimson light. He slightly raised his right hand, and a crimson-black aura shot towards Ni Qingfeng. However, after traveling halfway, the aura suddenly dissipated, turning into countless wisps of crimson-black aura that drifted in all directions. These wisps were extremely fast and soon landed on a Tianshan disciple. The latter hurriedly tried to disperse them with his hand, but the scattered wisps quickly regrouped and, with renewed speed, darted into the disciple's palm.

"what!"

The disciple felt a piercing pain in his palm, veins bulging on his temples, and his face instantly turned red, as if he were being roasted in a furnace. His clothes were also covered with a thin layer of red light.

"Quickly open!"

The disciple roared and, taking advantage of a moment of clarity, hurriedly ran towards an empty place. People along the way made way for him. When Xue Wanshan saw the disciple's appearance, his expression changed immediately. Seeing the flying wisps of silk, he hurriedly shouted.

"Get out of those gossamer threads!"

Upon hearing this, the disciples of Tianshan quickly opened their protective shields and formed a sword formation. The strands of silk were scattered by the sword energy, but they quickly reformed and covered the shields. Using the power of absorption, they continuously dissolved the silk. In the blink of an eye, one sword formation was broken, and the six disciples inside had their bodies pierced by the silk strands.

"It's the Blood Silk Palm!"

Xue Wanshan moved in an instant, arriving beside the first disciple. He pointed a finger at an acupoint on the disciple's body, and a surge of pure Yang energy protected his heart meridian. The disciple's originally flushed face gradually returned to its original state.

Upon hearing that it was the Blood Silk Palm, Shen Henian and the others changed color. Seeing Xue Wanshan's actions, they followed suit and sealed the acupoints of the six disciples.

As Ni Qingfeng watched Shangguan Yun unleash the Blood Silk Palm, a flash of murderous intent crossed his eyes. To master this vicious skill to such an extent, one could only imagine how many lives it would have harmed.

As Ni Qingfeng channeled his true energy, the black and white energy shield shattered abruptly, transforming into streaks of black and white light that fell upon each member of the Tianshan Sect. The seemingly harmless strands of energy that touched this light melted away like snow under the blazing sun, and within a few breaths, most of the strands were dissolved. However, the black and white light also dimmed considerably, like a candle flickering in the wind.

When Shangguan Yun saw Ni Qingfeng withdraw the black and white aura to deal with You Si, he was overjoyed. He knew he hadn't made a mistake with his move. He only needed to use the Tianshan Sect members to hold Ni Qingfeng back most of his energy.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Shangguan Yun's true energy surged, and the three dragon pearls within his body shone brightly. A terrifying aura continued to rise, and a crimson-black pillar of light suddenly appeared in the originally dark night sky, swirling upwards and reaching the clouds. Under the cold moonlight, it seemed like a pillar supporting the sky, but this pillar was exuding an evil aura.

"It is the Sky Pillar of Moyun. I never thought that Shangguan Yun had actually cultivated this extraordinary phenomenon."

Upon seeing the towering black pillar, Ni Qingfeng immediately recognized its origin. This black pillar was a unique innate phenomenon possessed only by experts at the Innate Realm. With this phenomenon by one's side, combat power would increase by at least 30%. Innate Realm experts without this phenomenon could only unleash 70% of their full power in a battle against it, or even less.

"Shangguan Yun was able to cultivate extraordinary phenomena as soon as he entered the Innate Realm, which must be due to the help of the Dragon Pearl."

Upon seeing that everyone was stunned by the black pillar, Ni Qingfeng immediately released his own innate phenomenon. Everyone saw a black and white vortex suddenly appear in the sky, swirling around. Then, five-colored light surged from all directions and was absorbed by the black and white vortex. The vortex, having absorbed the five-colored light, gradually became solid, and finally transformed into an ancient and heavy Tai Chi disc. Runes shone, auspicious clouds provided a backdrop, and beams of dazzling light fell on Ni Qingfeng, making him appear like a god.

Just as the battle raged in the Tianshan Mountains, in a cave in the Qilian Mountains, Chamulong held a torch and walked deeper into the cave.

The dragon cave had been destroyed by Shangguan Yun and his men, and the original path had been blocked. Cha Mulong could only rely on his original memory to go around from the other side.

(End of this chapter)