A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 326 Drawing fire from the bottom of the cauldron
At the location of the Tianshan Sect's mountain gate, a dazzling sword light suddenly appeared in mid-air, tearing through the clouds and breaking through the dark clouds and gloom, opening up a smooth path. Carrying the power of wind and thunder, the fierce flames and the chilling aura were like a meteor falling from the sky, like a cold light trailing behind, heading straight for Shangguan Yun.

Behind the crimson-black clouds, Shangguan Yun felt an immense force surge towards him. Startled, he immediately roared, and three dragon pearls around him spun rapidly, their crimson-black light flashing and forming a black cocoon to block the power of the sword light and thunder. However, at that moment, Shangguan Yun's energy stagnated again, and the dragon pearls' rotation suddenly slowed down. The previously surging cocoon paused, and instantly, the sword light that tore through the sky slammed into it with a loud bang. A tearing sound was heard, and to everyone's astonishment, the sword light easily ripped through the cocoon and struck Shangguan Yun squarely.

Caught off guard, Shangguan Yun was struck by the sword light. His protective aura was almost powerless to resist and shattered at the slightest touch. The sword light continued its momentum and was about to pierce Shangguan Yun's heart when suddenly a flash of crimson-black light appeared on Shangguan Yun's chest. The sharp sword light was deflected slightly and grazed the edge of his heart.

Ni Qingfeng's eyes flickered slightly upon seeing this. This Dragon Pearl indeed had its own ideas. Once Shangguan Yun died, he would also suffer a great loss of vitality. In order to protect his own interests, this Dragon Pearl was willing to pay any price to prolong Shangguan Yun's life.

Shangguan Yun fell from mid-air, glared fiercely at Ni Qingfeng, and then leaped away, heading towards the foot of Tianshan Mountain. Xue Wanshan and the others immediately gave chase, but before they had gone far, streaks of crimson palm energy attacked them. By the time they dealt with the palm energy, Shangguan Yun had already disappeared.

"He got away again, what a pity."

Bi Yusheng couldn't help but sigh with regret. That should have been when Shangguan Yun was at his weakest. If he could have kept him here, the overall situation could have been settled.

"It's all about timing and fate. Perhaps Shangguan Yuntian's time is not yet over, and we cannot force it."

Xue Wanshan's cultivation level was a notch above the others, so Shangguan Yun must have been seriously injured just now. Otherwise, given his vengeful nature, he would not have fled in such a panic.

"Senior brother, Junior Brother Ni, he..."

Shen Henian's urgent voice rang in Xue Wanshan's ears. Upon hearing this, the latter hurriedly ran towards Ni Qingfeng's location. The others followed closely behind. Soon, they arrived at the hilltop and looked at Ni Qingfeng, who was meditating and practicing Qi cultivation. He was pale and bloodless, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.

Seeing her junior brother in such a state, Li Dengping's eyes reddened. Before Xue Wanshan could remind her, Li Dengping took out a porcelain bottle from her bosom and hurriedly stepped forward, intending to heal his injuries.

"Third Junior Sister, be careful!"

Xue Wanshan watched Li Dengping walk forward, and his expression changed slightly. He flew forward, but he was still a step too slow. Li Dengping had only taken a few steps with the porcelain bottle in her hand when she felt a powerful force rushing towards her. Caught off guard, she groaned and flew backward. The porcelain bottle in her hand fell to the ground and shattered with a crack, and several golden pills rolled to the ground.

"Junior sister."

With a flick of his whisk, Xue Wanshan caught Li Dengping's flying body and lifted her up. After landing on her feet, Li Dengping took a breath and looked at Xue Wanshan, who had put the whisk away, with a slightly puzzled expression.

"Senior brother, what about Junior Brother Ni?"

“Junior Brother Ni’s true energy is quite depleted, and he is currently absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. This dissipated energy is a kind of shield, and only those with innate talent can touch it. Fortunately, Junior Sister has no ill intentions, otherwise things would not be like this now.”

After a brief explanation, Xue Wanshan reached out and inhaled, causing the golden pill that had fallen to the ground to slowly float in his palm. Then, Xue Wanshan clenched his fist, and the golden pill transformed into a ball of shimmering golden powder. He flicked it forward, and the powder drifted slowly toward Ni Qingfeng, who was meditating.

To everyone's surprise, the scattered pills were unaffected by the energy. To their astonishment, a vortex of energy appeared out of nowhere about ten feet away from Ni Qingfeng, swallowing all the scattered pills like a whale swallowing them. In no time, the scattered pills moved to Ni Qingfeng's side. As he breathed and circulated his energy, the scattered pills were slowly absorbed into his body, and his originally barely perceptible aura recovered at a visible speed.

"Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill!"

Bi Yusheng exclaimed in surprise, his face showing an incredulous expression. Just now, the pills scattered on the ground emitted a warm and pleasant fragrance, which made Bi Yusheng feel that this kind of pill was very unusual. Now, seeing Xue Wanshan crush the pills, he finally realized what this kind of pill was.

This pill is the treasure of the Tianshan Sect. Its refining process is far more complex than people can imagine. The Shaolin Temple's Great Rejuvenation Pill is already a top-tier elixir, but compared to the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill, it is worlds apart. After all, this pill is of great benefit even to innate masters.

In Bi Yusheng's memory, the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill of the Tianshan Sect had no trace left, but now it seems that it was a false rumor deliberately spread by the Tianshan Sect to avoid attracting the covetousness of others.

"Mr. Bi is indeed knowledgeable and has a strong memory. It is indeed the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill, and these are the only three left in our sect." Shen Henian said calmly, looking at the surprised expressions of Bi Yusheng and the others.

"With the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill as a help, Master Ni will surely be safe and sound. It's just that we don't know when Master Ni will wake up. We also have to be wary of Shangguan Yun. Although he was defeated, the Zhongxin Hall still has strength. We still need to plan carefully."

Bi Yusheng took a deep breath and looked at everyone, speaking in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, Xue Wanshan said, "Mr. Bi is right. However, based on what I have seen before, Shangguan Yun's injuries will not heal in a short time. As long as we can seize this opportunity and eliminate the core strength of Zhongxin Hall, the advantage will be on our side."

After glancing at Ni Qingfeng, who was meditating with his eyes closed in the distance, Xue Wanshan turned his gaze away and began to speak of his plans. In his plan, the Sun and Moon Twin Fiends and the leaders of the twelve branch leaders were the primary targets to be eliminated.

"Is Sect Leader Xue going to make a move against the Sun and Moon Duo? These two are not easy to deal with. Moreover, they have been guarding the Loyalty Hall all along. This time, Shangguan Yun did not bring them along when he came to attack, which seems to indicate that he has already considered the possibility of defeat."

Bi Yusheng frowned. These Sun and Moon Twin Fiends were no ordinary experts. One of them could contend with him alone, and with the two of them working together, the outcome between him and them was only a 40/60 chance.

"As Shangguan Yun's confidants, they may have also received assistance from the Dragon Ball. Therefore, their strength should be overestimated."

Xue Wanshan nodded upon hearing this, “If the Sun and Moon Duo were to receive the aid of the Dragon Pearl, apart from myself, Mr. Bi, and the Lu couple, it would be absolutely impossible to defeat them. In addition, there are the twelve branch leaders. Although they are not all top-notch experts, they must have extraordinary abilities to be able to stand guard for Shangguan Yun in one region.”

Upon hearing this, Bi Yusheng continued, "Leaving aside other matters, just consider Qiu He, Wang Gen, and Jiang Che, who are stationed in Zhongxin Hall. Their martial arts skills are second only to the Sun and Moon Duo. In addition, there is a group of elites. To annihilate them all, the entire Tianshan Sect would have to be mobilized."

Shen Henian and Li Dengping both frowned upon hearing this. After exchanging a glance, Shen Henian looked at the pensive sect leader, took a few steps closer, and tentatively asked, "Senior Brother?"

According to Shen Henian, he disagreed with Bi Yusheng's approach. This was tantamount to pitting the Tianshan Sect against the Zhongxin Hall head-on. Regardless of the outcome, the Tianshan Sect would inevitably suffer heavy losses. Who knew what those affiliated sects would do in the face of this situation? Shen Henian was unwilling to entrust his own safety to others, but important matters within the sect still needed to be decided by the sect leader.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Xue Wanshan slowly said, "As the saying goes, to catch a thief, first catch the king. Now that Shangguan Yun is seriously injured and has fled far away, the leaders of Zhongxin Hall are the Sun and Moon Duo. As long as the plan is well-thought-out, we can eliminate these two. Without a leader, Zhongxin Hall will be able to handle it." Xue Wanshan naturally wouldn't sacrifice the Tianshan Sect, but eliminating the Sun and Moon Duo was relatively simple in his opinion.

Upon hearing this, Bi Yusheng and Lu Aotian nodded immediately. Yin Songyue, the leader of the Liubo Sect, and Guo Rui of the Iron Spear Sect, who were standing to the side, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, their eyes shining with excitement. As long as the Tianshan Sect handled the most difficult problem, they were confident that they could deal with the Zhongxin Hall.

Upon hearing Xue Wanshan's words, some from other sects had gloomy expressions, some had furrowed their brows, and some were eager to try. Shen Henian observed all of these reactions.

"Humph!"

Shen Henian took those men with gloomy faces to heart. They were all restless troublemakers. Once the Zhongxin Hall matter was over, he would have to find a reason to teach them a lesson, so that the Tianshan Sect wouldn't be dragged down by these men while they were charging ahead.

In the distance, the green mountains were suddenly dyed red by the sunset, and a dazzling sun slowly rose. Xue Wanshan looked at the mountains turning red and Ni Qingfeng sitting cross-legged on the mountaintop. After a moment's thought, he whispered a few words to Shen Henian. The latter nodded repeatedly after hearing this, and then led a group of Tianshan disciples toward the mountaintop. When they were three zhang away from Ni Qingfeng, Shen Henian said to Fu Tianjiao and the other six, "The sect leader has ordered that no one is allowed to enter this area without authorization. Anyone who disobeys will be executed. Tianjiao, you are the eldest disciple of Tianshan. This responsibility of guarding the area is entrusted to you. Do not fail the trust of the sect leader and us."

“Tianjiao obeys!” Fu Tianjiao replied firmly.

The other six also agreed in unison. Shen Henian nodded in satisfaction, looked at Ni Qingfeng bathed in the sunlight, and then turned and walked down the mountain. When he returned to the outside of the mountain gate, Xue Wanshan and the others had already left. A Tianshan disciple saw him return and immediately stepped forward to pay his respects.

"Uncle-Master, the Sect Leader said you should go to the main hall after you return."

Shen Henian nodded and stepped inside. When he arrived at the main hall, a series of noisy sounds came from inside. His expression darkened slightly as he walked into the hall.

Inside the hall, Guo Rui of the Iron Spear Sect was locked in a fierce confrontation with a middle-aged, elegant man in a blue robe. Shen Henian didn't pay much attention when he entered, except for Bi Yusheng, Lu Aotian and his wife, and Yin Songyue, who nodded at him.

"Master Brother."

Xue Wanshan glanced at Shen Henian, who nodded. Xue Wanshan then stopped asking questions and turned to look at the two people fiercely competing in the arena. Shen Henian also focused his attention on the two. He recognized the elegant man in the blue robe as Shi Huan, the leader of the Blue Shadow Sect, who was a prominent figure in the Jiangnan martial arts world. However, Shen Henian had a very bad impression of this man because he was one of the people he had been paying special attention to.

Shi Huan looked at Guo Rui with a righteous expression and said solemnly, "Sect Leader Guo, the number of people sent to Zhongxin Hall this time should be carefully selected. Your sect has just suffered heavy losses and there are still many things waiting for you to handle. Please do not go this time. Let our sect do its part. Otherwise, I will feel ashamed."

Next, Shi Huan used his silver tongue to persuade Guo Rui. After a full quarter of an hour, Shi Huan's mouth was dry, but seeing Guo Rui's expressionless face, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

"Guo Rui has always been rude and barbaric, easily angered. Why is he so calm? No, we can't let the Iron Spear Sect get involved. This time, Xue Wanshan and his group are personally taking action, which will surely severely damage Zhongxin Hall. If we don't seize this opportunity to tear off a piece of flesh, it would be a waste of the damage we've already suffered."

Just as Shi Huan was about to try to persuade him again, Guo Rui on the other side nodded and agreed, saying, "Sect Leader Shi's kindness is appreciated. In that case, our sect will wait for good news in Tianshan."

After bowing to Xue Wanshan and the others, Guo Rui gave Shi Huan a slight bow, then sat down in his seat, closed his eyes to rest, and remained silent. This left Shi Huan somewhat puzzled, wondering what Guo Rui was planning.

"Whatever your schemes, my Blue Shadow Sect will not suffer any losses this time. Success would be best, but even if we fail, I am not without a backup plan."

Thinking of this, Shi Huan couldn't help but smile. After showering Guo Rui with compliments, he also took his seat. After the two of them were seated, an old man dressed in coarse linen rose gracefully, cupped his hands in greeting to Yin Songyue beside him, and then said, "Sect Leader Yin, our sect..."

Before the old man could finish speaking, Yin Songyue immediately stood up and returned the greeting, then said solemnly, "This time, in our surprise attack on Zhongxin Hall, I know my martial arts skills are inferior, so I will not compete with Master Hou."

After speaking, Yin Songyue didn't even look at the old man surnamed Hou. She nodded to Xue Wanshan, then sat back down in her seat, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and looked very relaxed and content.

"puff."

A soft laugh rang out, and the old man surnamed Hou blushed instantly upon seeing Yin Songyue's actions. It was as if his full-force blow had landed on cotton wool, leaving him feeling powerless and unable to exert his strength. This soft laugh only made him feel more embarrassed.

"Sect Leader Hou, since Sect Leader Yin has given up on this selection, then your sect will select one person."

Xue Wanshan broke the awkward silence, and the old man surnamed Hou immediately gave Xue Wanshan a grateful look before awkwardly sitting down.

"The Divine Monkey Sect is getting worse with each generation. Back then, the White Ape Ancestor was so illustrious, but these three generations haven't even learned a third of the essence. They bully the weak and fear the strong, and they forget righteousness for profit. They are not up to any great responsibility."

Lu Aotian and Bi Yusheng exchanged a glance, and both secretly shook their heads.

Half an hour later, the candidates were finally selected. The Tianshan Sect's side consisted of Xue Wanshan and Shen Henian, Shi Huan from the Blue Shadow Sect, Hou Laomen from the Divine Monkey Sect, Lin Xiu from the Shangjing Sect, Shui Yue from the Yuewu Sect, Bi Yusheng, and Lu Aotian and his wife, totaling nine people. This was the strongest fighting force that the Tianshan Sect could currently muster.

"After resting for one night, we will set off tomorrow. Junior brother, distribute the Rejuvenation Pills."

Xue Wanshan gave an order to Shen Henian, who immediately turned around and went to the back hall. He returned with a wooden box, which contained a series of porcelain bottles. Shen Henian instructed his disciples to deliver the bottles to the participants.

Shi Huan took the porcelain bottle and impatiently uncorked it. He felt a refreshing medicinal fragrance penetrate his lungs and his internal energy surge.

"Good medicine!"

(End of this chapter)