A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 329 Another Unexpected Turn of Events
Upon hearing this, Xue Wanshan gave Shi Huan a deep look, then summoned people to clean up the bloodstains in the hall. After the cleanup, Xue Wanshan sat at the head of the table, while the others sat respectfully below. Xue Wanshan's skills had truly impressed them.

"This Sect Leader Xue's aura is even more profound than before, making it even harder for me to see through him. Sect Leader Shuiyue, have you made any discoveries?"

Lin Xiu of the Shangjing Sect glanced at Xue Wanshan at the head of the table and felt as if the other party was shrouded in a veil, like a cloud or fog. Although it was noticeable, it could not be dispelled. He did not think that Xue Wanshan was deliberately mysterious, but only that the other party's cultivation was profound and far beyond what people like him could fathom.

However, Shuiyue of Yuewu Sect has a unique method of interpreting aura sensing, and perhaps we can get some useful information from her.

However, to Lin Xiu's disappointment, Shui Yue only shook her head slightly when she heard his telepathic message.

Lin Xiu felt a little disappointed, but his fear of the Tianshan Sect intensified. Xue Wanshan had achieved such good fortune after only a few days of fighting Shangguan Yun. It was hard for him to believe that it was a sudden and natural outcome. The only other explanation was that he had to rely on external forces.

Thinking of this, Lin Xiu couldn't help but recall the colorful cloud that had suddenly appeared in the sky earlier. Although it was fleeting, he felt that it was related to Xue Wanshan's great progress in cultivation.

"Sect Leader Shuiyue, I have a guess. The previous Daoist Ni and Shangguan Yun fought to the death, and then the strange phenomenon of five-colored clouds appeared. He made great progress in cultivation with the help of Xue Wanshan. There must be a connection between them."

Upon hearing this, Shuiyue's jade-like face remained unchanged, but her eyes flickered slightly, as if she had thought of something. After glancing at the person in the head seat, she whispered, "In any case, it's just that we benefit. Sect Leader Xue's cultivation has greatly improved, which will give us a better chance of defeating Zhongxin Hall. However, what worries me is Sect Leader Shi."

Shuiyue glanced subtly at Shi Huan, whose expression remained indifferent. The latter remained silent, as if in a meditative state.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiu frowned. Even Shui Yue had noticed that Shi Huan had been acting strangely lately. Could it be that he really had a problem? Lin Xiu didn't want to speculate on Shi Huan's motives, so she immediately kept quiet.

"Everyone, I just learned from Junior Brother Ni that Shangguan Yun must be seriously injured this time. Even with the Dragon Pearl in hand, he will not be able to recover within a month. This is our opportunity. However, I want to change my previous plan."

Upon hearing Xue Wanshan's words, Lin Xiu and the others exchanged glances. Then, Lin Xiu stood up and addressed Xue Wanshan in a serious voice, "May I ask what the plan is, Sect Leader Xue?"

Lin Xiu didn't know why Xue Wanshan suddenly changed his mind at this crucial moment, so she needed to figure out the plan. Even if she wasn't afraid of death and trusted the Tianshan Sect, she couldn't just let things go unchecked, lest she end up being a fool.

"Sect Leader Lin, please be patient. Once Mr. Bi and the Black and White Heroes arrive, I will explain everything in detail. Please wait a moment."

Xue Wanshan flicked his whisk, glanced at Lin Xiu, and the latter nodded and sat down.

The others knew that Xue Wanshan had intentionally given them a heads-up so they could be prepared. After all, their martial arts skills were far inferior to those of Bi Yusheng and Lu Aotian, who were fearless, while they were no match for them.

Before everyone had to wait long, in just a short while, Li Dengping led Bi Yusheng and the Lu Aotian couple into the main hall. Bi Yusheng waved a folding fan in his hand. As soon as he entered the main hall, his nose twitched slightly, and he suddenly smelled a bloody stench. His smile remained unchanged, and his steps suddenly quickened. The Lu Aotian couple also exchanged a glance and walked into the main hall at a leisurely pace.

After exchanging pleasantries, Xue Wanshan invited the three to sit down and began to explain his plan.

“The Sun and Moon Twins are Shangguan Yun’s right-hand men. Once these two are eliminated, the operation of Zhongxin Hall will inevitably be hindered. Therefore, I suggest that this time we should not target anyone else, but focus on these two. Once we succeed, we should retreat immediately and not give Zhongxin Hall any chance to react.”

After hearing Xue Wanshan's words, the expressions of the people below varied. Lin Xiu smiled, Shui Yue remained calm, while Old Man Hou of the Divine Monkey Sect frowned, and Shi Huan of the Blue Shadow Sect was expressionless, though Xue Wanshan accurately caught the fleeting look of disappointment in his eyes.

“This is much easier than before, but Sect Leader Xue, isn’t it a bit of a waste to send nine of us just to eliminate the Sun and Moon Twin Fiends? If so, there’s no need to send so many people.”

Seeing that no one spoke up, Old Man Hou from the Monkey King Sect was the first to voice his opinion.

"Master Hou, you are mistaken. Even a lion needs to use its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Moreover, this time we are launching a surprise attack on the headquarters of Zhongxin Hall. No one knows how many backup plans are laid out inside. It is not an exaggeration to do so. If Zhongxin Hall were not so far away from Tianshan, I would have liked to set off with a team of elite disciples."

Upon hearing Old Man Hou speak, Shen Henian glanced at his senior brother, the sect leader, and immediately offered an explanation.

Old Hou nodded upon hearing this. Shen Henian's words were not wrong. Although this time it was only to deal with the Sun and Moon Duo, he also knew that before going after the two, he would have to fight against others. The number of nine people was not even in the same league as the Zhongxin Hall headquarters.

Moreover, Old Man Hou was only offering his opinion. In any case, he wasn't the best in martial arts, and with Xue Wanshan and the others holding the line, the risk of them being noticed was much lower.

After Old Man Hou sat down, Shen Henian looked at Lin Xiu and the others and saw that they had no objections. Just then, Bi Yusheng's voice suddenly rang out.

“I agree with Sect Leader Xue’s plan, but I must remind you that if the nine of us go down the mountain, the power of Tianshan will be weakened. If Shangguan Yun attacks despite his injuries, Tianjiao and the other sects alone will probably not be able to hold it. Even if we destroy the Sun and Moon Twin Fiends, it will be a loss. I wonder if Sect Leader Xue has left any contingency plan to protect the foundation of Tianshan?”

After Bi Yusheng finished speaking, Lin Xiu and the others' expressions changed slightly. They had subconsciously overlooked Shangguan Yun, after all, he had been severely injured. But even if Shangguan Yun was severely injured, it was not something their disciples could withstand. If such a thing happened suddenly, the foundation of the sect would be completely destroyed, and no matter how great their achievements were, it would be difficult to make up for such a loss.

Everyone turned their attention to Xue Wanshan. Upon seeing this, he met their gazes and said calmly, "Although Junior Brother Ni's injuries have not yet healed, defending Tianshan is still a piece of cake. With Third Junior Sister and Tianjiao and the others, the combined strength of all sects should make dealing with a seriously injured Shangguan Yun not a difficult task. Moreover, according to my guess, Shangguan Yun is not the kind of person who would sacrifice the greater good for small gains. He would not act rashly no matter how badly he is injured. Even if he has the Dragon Pearl, he would not do anything that would be detrimental to him. You can all rest assured."

After Xue Wanshan explained, everyone understood.

Lu Aotian and Bi Yusheng exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly. They then said nothing more. On the other side, Shi Huan appeared calm, but he had other plans in mind.

"Xue Wanshan suddenly changed his strategy. Could it be that he discovered something was wrong? But even so, you will not escape death. The Tianshan Sect cannot be touched for the time being, but after you are dealt with, the Tianshan Sect will be severely weakened."

Shi Huan decided to send out the message before the group launched a surprise attack on Zhongxin Hall. Given Zhongxin Hall's strength, they would surely set a trap for Xue Wanshan and his group to walk into.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Xue Wanshan continued, "It's getting late. We'll set off at 3:45 AM tomorrow. We'll travel light and make sure we get to Zhongxin Hall within ten days."

Upon hearing this, everyone solemnly agreed and then left one after another. However, before leaving, Biyu Sheng suddenly received a signal from Shen Henian, so he slowed down and fell behind the others.

After Lu Aotian and the others left, only Xue Wanshan, Shen Henian and Biyusheng remained in the main hall.

"Sect Leader Xue, is there anything else you wish to learn from?" Bi Yusheng looked at Xue Wanshan and bowed respectfully.

“Mr. Bi, Shi Huan’s matter is now absolutely true. If I’m not mistaken, he will pass on the message tonight. However, I have already arranged for people to be on high alert. As soon as he makes a move, we can intercept the message first. I have heard that you have excellent handwriting, Mr. Bi. Perhaps you will be able to help me later.”

Upon hearing this, Bi Yusheng already understood what was going on. Xue Wanshan wanted him to imitate Shi Huan's handwriting in order to turn the tables on him.

"This is what I should do, Sect Leader Xue, there's no need to be so polite."

If it were any other situation, imitating someone else's handwriting would only embarrass him, but he also understood the current situation. Since he had such a skill, he should make the most of it.

"Mr. Bi will probably be very busy tonight, which will be detrimental to his cultivation. I have no other compensation, but this is a Spirit Nourishing Pill that Junior Brother Ni personally refined. It has some wonderful uses. Mr. Bi may wish to take it and refine it."

Xue Wanshan pressed the mechanism on his seat, and with a click, the table next to him dented, and a tray appeared on top, holding an exquisite white jade bottle. Xue Wanshan reached out and took it, then opened the stopper and took out a round, golden pill. As soon as he took it out, a strange fragrance wafted out.

Shen Henian, who was closest to the pill, couldn't help but light up when he saw it. Smelling the enticing aroma, he took a deep breath and swallowed the dissipating medicinal power. Instantly, his mind and soul were cleared, and all fatigue was swept away. Moreover, the true energy in his body was like boiling water, which startled Shen Henian. He immediately circulated his mental technique to calm down the restless true energy. In just a few breaths, Shen Henian felt that the stuck realm had loosened slightly.

"This is the Spirit Nourishing Pill that Junior Brother Ni refined. It is indeed extremely potent."

The moment Bi Yusheng took out the Nourishing Spirit Pill, he felt a pure and spiritual energy swirling around him, and his internal energy began to move uncontrollably. Only after he tried his best to calm it down did it stabilize. When he saw Xue Wanshan flick the pill over, Bi Yusheng was startled. He quickly grabbed the fragile pill with his right hand and used a clever force to catch it.

"Mr. Bi, please take it quickly. This Nourishing Spirit Pill must be swallowed within half a quarter of an hour, otherwise half of its medicinal power will be lost."

After giving a reminder, Xue Wanshan glanced at Shen Henian, then took out a pill from the elixir bottle and handed it to him. The latter was immediately flattered and hurriedly accepted it with both hands. "Thank you, Senior Brother Sect Leader."

Upon hearing Xue Wanshan's words, Bi Yusheng immediately swallowed the pill in his hand, then sat down cross-legged on the spot, circulated his mental incantation, and refined the medicinal power. Meanwhile, Shen Henian, with Xue Wanshan's help, was also immersed in the joy of refining the pill.

After a moment, Bi Yusheng opened his eyes. In the dimly lit hall, it was as if a flash of lightning had passed by. Xue Wanshan withdrew his hand from Shen Henian's back, looked at Bi Yusheng who had stood up, and nodded in praise.

"It is truly gratifying that Mr. Bi has refined the pills in just three quarters of an hour, earlier than I expected."

There are specific techniques involved in refining these pills, especially the Nourishing Spirit Pill, which has very strict requirements on one's cultivation level. The higher one's martial arts skills, the faster the refining speed. Xue Wanshan's first time refining the pill took almost the same time as Bi Yusheng, while Shen Henian's time would be at least half an hour later.

"I must thank Sect Leader Xue for the pills; I am truly unworthy of them."

Leaving aside the fact that Bi Yusheng took another step towards the Innate Realm thanks to this pill, its wonderful effects of stabilizing the soul and calming the mind are enough to leave people speechless. This thing is only kept in the Tianshan Sect. If it were taken out, it would at least cause a bloodbath, and countless people would lose their lives because of this pill.

"The Tianshan Sect has exhausted all its resources to deal with Zhongxin Hall. This time, it can only succeed and cannot fail. Helping Mr. Bi is also helping the Tianshan Sect. In that case, I am not at a loss, and Mr. Bi need not worry about it."

Xue Wanshan's words of advice moved Biyu Sheng somewhat, so he bowed respectfully to Xue Wanshan, who turned slightly to the side and only accepted half of the bow.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the two returned to their seats to wait. Another half hour passed, and Xue Wanshan glanced at Shen Henian before looking away. Bi Yusheng also noticed that Shen Henian was emanating the same aura.

Shen Henian slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a breath of stale air, stood up and walked to Xue Wanshan, solemnly bowing to him.

"Thank you for your help, senior brother."

When refining the elixir, Shen Henian's skill was insufficient. If Xue Wanshan hadn't helped him overcome the most difficult hurdle, the elixir's potency would have severely injured him. He wouldn't be in his current state of high spirits, as if he had taken a tonic.

Upon hearing this, Xue Wanshan simply nodded, and Shen Henian, being sensible, sat in the first seat to his left and nodded to Biyu Sheng.

The three waited quietly for another half hour. Suddenly, Xue Wanshan's mind stirred. A moment later, Fu Tianjiao rushed in from outside the main hall, holding a small bamboo tube letter with a thin golden thread wrapped around it.

"Master."

Fu Tianjiao noticed that there were other people in the hall, and upon closer inspection, she realized that it was Mr. Bi and her second martial uncle.

"Tianjiao, bring the things up."

Upon hearing Xue Wanshan's gentle words, Fu Tianjiao immediately stepped forward with the letter in both hands. When she was less than a foot away from the steps, Shen Henian took the letter from her hands, went up the steps, and presented it to Xue Wanshan. The latter took it and carefully memorized all the details outside before unsealing the seal and pulling out a slip of paper.

After Xue Wanshan glanced through it, he handed it to Shen Henian. Shen Henian's expression changed drastically after reading it, and he immediately handed it to Bi Yusheng. The latter took it and saw that it contained Xue Wanshan's entire plan for tonight, as well as the names of all the people who would launch the surprise attack.

"What a vicious mind! If this information falls into the hands of Zhongxin Hall, no matter how powerful we are, we will pay a heavy price to deal with a Zhongxin Hall at full strength. Shi Huan deserves to die!"

Her jade-like face was as cold as frost, and she wished she could kill Shi Huan right now.

"Mr. Bi, all the paper and pens are ready. Now is the time for you to show your skills."

Xue Wanshan descended the steps and led Biyusheng to the back hall, where a desk was set up. Biyusheng nodded to Xue Wanshan, went to the desk, weighed down the paper with a paperweight, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, calmed himself for a moment, and then began to write. In no time, a brand new paper with handwriting almost identical to the original paper, but with content that was nine parts true and one part false, was handed to Xue Wanshan by Biyusheng.

"Mr. Bi is very capable."

Xue Wanshan compared the original note with the original one and examined it closely. It looked as if it was written by the same person. With this note, they could seize the initiative.

"There's no time to lose, we need to send the message immediately. Mr. Bi, please go and rest. We'll be setting off tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Bi Yusheng nodded, bowed to Xue Wanshan and Shen Henian, then turned and left the inner hall, returning to his residence.

"Junior brother, deliver this letter to Zhongxin Hall immediately. Remember not to use our sect's carrier pigeons."

Shen Henian said yes and immediately took the note handed to him by the sect leader. When he arrived at the front hall, Fu Tianjiao was still waiting. When she saw Shen Henian come out, she immediately came to greet him.

"Uncle-Master, the carrier pigeon that was delivering the message has been captured by Junior Sister Zhou, and it was not damaged in the slightest."

Fu Tianjiao was meticulous. When the carrier pigeon flew out, Zhuo Bing wanted to use a hidden weapon to injure it, but Fu Tianjiao stopped her. In the end, Zhou Jing used the Heavenly Net Hand technique taught by Ni Qingfeng to retrieve the pigeon and the message intact.

Upon hearing this, Shen Henian was overjoyed. He had thought that Fu Tianjiao and the others had already damaged the carrier pigeon after receiving the letter, but he hadn't expected this unexpected joy, which was perfect.

"Tianjiao, you did a good job."

Shen Henian no longer cares about Fu Tianjiao becoming the next sect leader. This kind of mindset is truly rare. Although other carrier pigeons are also fine, it would be best for them to have fewer flaws.

"Uncle-Master, this way please."

Fu Tianjiao led Shen Henian to a secluded place. Upon seeing Fu Tianjiao return, Zhou Jing and the others immediately came to greet her.

"You handled this matter very well, very well."

Seeing the carrier pigeons take flight again, Shen Henian felt a slight sense of relief. He rarely praised Zhuo Bing and the others, which surprised everyone. This second uncle was usually taciturn and it was already good enough if he didn't criticize them. This time, however, he praised them, which was truly a first.

"Thank you for the praise, Uncle-Master. I am unworthy of it."

The group hurriedly replied, only to be met with a soft snort from Shen Henian. He glanced at them, flicked his sleeve, and turned to leave.

"This is the Second Martial Uncle."

Zhuo Bing breathed a sigh of relief and muttered something to himself; the others also sighed.

Just as Xue Wanshan devised his plan to launch a surprise attack on Zhongxin Hall, two familiar figures arrived at Zhongxin Hall, which was thousands of miles away.

"Morning bell, evening drum, how dare you cause trouble at Zhongxin Hall!"

Looking at his subordinates outside the gate of Zhongxin Hall, who were severely injured by the sound waves, Ri Sha was instantly enraged. He raised his hand and unleashed a scorching palm strike towards Chen Zhong.

(End of this chapter)