A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 332 The Final Battle

"Sect Leader Xue!"

Shuiyue looked at Xue Wanshan, who was holding a whisk in one hand and a sword in the other, standing in front of her, and couldn't help but show a look of relief.

"Sect Master Shuiyue, please leave this to me and go assist my junior brother."

After Xue Wanshan finished speaking to Shuiyue, he flicked his whisk, causing thousands of silver threads to swirl and shatter the attacking sonic blade. Then, his longsword flashed with cold light, and with a single upward thrust, he slit the throats of the two attackers who had surrounded him.

Upon hearing this, Shuiyue immediately expressed her gratitude. Seeing that Shen Henian was fighting with three skilled fighters and was in a precarious situation, Su Rong's expression hardened, and she gracefully rushed over. Her hand flashed with cold light, and a silver ribbon flew through the air like a white dragon, churning the seas. With just one swirling motion, one of the fighters attacking Shen Henian was caught off guard and swept away by the ribbon, while the remaining two were shocked to see this.

"Deal with Shen Henian first!"

The leader, seeing his brother being swept away by the flying ribbon, knew that he was temporarily safe with his skills. He gave a deep shout and gave an order to the brother next to him. The two of them then attacked again, each wielding their weapons.

Shen Henian looked at the two rushing towards him with a frosty expression. If it weren't for the three of them using a combined attack technique, he wouldn't have been in such a sorry state. Now that one of them was missing, the combined attack technique was much less powerful, and his skills were finally coming in handy.

His longsword flew up and down, his palms pulsed with energy, and he used both sword and palm techniques. The surrounding area, about a foot wide, was filled with steaming energy, like a furnace, which firmly suppressed the two who were charging at him. He only needed a few dozen more moves to finish them off.

At the same time, Bi Yusheng and the others were also entangled by their opponents. The only one who was free was Xue Wanshan. He stared intently at the four figures that were walking through the air in the distance. He narrowed his eyes and moved his whisk sword slightly. Just as the Sun and Moon Twin Fiends landed on an ancient tree, he was suddenly terrified. He unconsciously dodged to the side and moved to another branch.

With a snap, the Sun and Moon Duo's expressions changed slightly. They glanced at their previous spot and saw that the thick branch had been cleanly cut off. Wisps of sword energy condensed at the cut, emanating a chilling aura that moved everyone present.

"What powerful sword energy! Brother, it's unlikely that the two of us can defeat this Tianshan Sect Leader on our own. It seems we'll have to let Chen Zhong Mu Gu make a move."

The Sun and Moon Duo dared not stay in the tree any longer, and flew down to the ground, looking at Xue Wanshan in the distance.

"Even if we are no match for them, we must create openings for them. I don't believe Xue Wanshan can maintain his peak condition indefinitely. As long as he becomes distracted, we can seize the opportunity and capture him alive."

As Sun Fiend spoke, he secretly gathered his palm power, the crimson flames rising intensely and making his face slightly flushed. Moon Fiend nodded in agreement, his expression hardening as he held his palm upright in front of him, a ball of dazzling white light slowly gathering in his palm.
On the other side, Xue Wanshan sensed the rising aura of the Sun and Moon Duo and became secretly vigilant. Although these two had consumed a lot of true energy before, they were still top-notch fighters. Moreover, they were now increasing their combat power despite the damage to their own foundation. If nothing unexpected happened, it was probably to create an opportunity for Chen Zhong Mu Gu to make a move.

"I didn't listen carefully just now. Although the Scorpion Demonic Sound is a first-class sonic technique of the demonic path, it is still closely related to the user's temperament. Although the Morning Bell and Evening Drum are called the evil sect, they have never truly killed innocent people. The Scorpion Demonic Sound they played on Mount Tianshan before had seven parts of strangeness, but there were still three parts of the kingly way in it. What I heard today has no righteous meaning at all, only a sinister and eerie tune."

Xue Wanshan pondered for a moment, then a thought flashed through his mind. He realized that Shangguan Yun was skilled in soul-stealing techniques. Could it be that he had personally captured Chen Zhong Mu Gu and used this technique on him? If so, it would make perfect sense.

Just as Xue Wanshan was deep in thought, the Sun and Moon Duo had already extracted most of their true energy. The two of them shouted in unison, and a flash of crimson and white light appeared on their bodies. A crimson and white palm energy attacked Xue Wanshan. Upon seeing this, the latter remained calm. He put away his whisk with his left hand, and with his right hand, he drew his sword horizontally. The sword blade was cold and sharp. He slashed forward heavily, and a sharp and incomparable sword light suddenly appeared in the void. It shot out and tore the crimson and white palm energy as easily as a thin piece of paper. The sword light continued its momentum and carried the sound of wind and thunder as it fell straight towards the Sun and Moon Duo.

"not good!"

When the Sun and Moon Duo saw their attack broken, their expressions changed drastically. They were now locked onto by the sword light. If they suddenly retreated, their energies would merge and one of them would be struck. They could only hope that Morning Bell and Evening Drum would intervene in time, otherwise, if the sword fell, they would be seriously injured even if they didn't die.

Just as the sword light was about to strike the protective aura surrounding the Sun and Moon Duo, a bell and a drum sounded simultaneously. The two sound waves vibrated the void, causing spatial ripples and momentarily freezing the incoming sword light. Upon seeing this, the Sun and Moon Duo simultaneously struck out with a palm, breaking free from the sword aura's hold and retreating far away, revealing the morning bell and evening drum hidden behind them.

"The bells and drums sounded together, and the scorpion's voice rang out."

Xue Wanshan was not discouraged when he saw that his sword strike had failed. Looking at the expressionless morning bell and evening drum several feet away, he couldn't help but sigh.

These two were once renowned figures in the martial arts world, yet they ended up as Shangguan Yun's henchmen, which is truly lamentable. However, after becoming Shangguan Yun's puppets, they cultivated the power of the Scorpion Demon Sound to an even higher level, which seems rather ironic.

Xue Wanshan's eyes flashed with a fierce light. Although he sympathized with Chen Zhong and Mu Gu's plight, they were now enemies, so he would not hold back. He charged forward, his longsword vibrating, and a sword aura slashed diagonally towards Chen Zhong. At this moment, the latter's red eyes flashed slightly, and then a delicate bronze bell in his hand rang out, and circles of bell sound waves rushed towards Xue Wanshan. The sword aura that rushed towards him was gradually dissipated by the continuous bell sound waves.

At the same time, Mu Gu made a move. He clapped the small drum in his palm, and several muffled, deep sounds were clearly transmitted to the ears of everyone present. Upon hearing this sound, Shen Henian and the others felt their blood and qi surge and their true qi stagnate. They almost couldn't catch their breath, their bodies froze, and they were nearly struck by their opponent's weapon.

Upon hearing this sound, Bi Yusheng and Lu Aotian's auras faltered for a moment, but they quickly recovered. However, their expressions were very solemn. After forcing their opponents back, they looked into the distance.

"This Scorpion Demonic Voice is becoming increasingly difficult to deal with. If it were to come out like this at a crucial moment, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Bi Yusheng held a folding fan and struck Jiang Che and the other two's weapons with three jingling sounds. The three of them felt the powerful true energy coming from their weapons and took three steps back in unison, thus neutralizing the force.

Xue Wanshan shut down his senses and continued to charge forward with his sword. The cold light reflected the moonlight, and the dense sword energy soared into the sky. Xue Wanshan's longsword hummed, and the sword energy crisscrossed as he unleashed the Seven Deadly Swords of the Tianshan Sect. The dense sword energy shot out like stars in the sky, with great momentum, intending to swallow up all obstacles in his path.

The two men at the forefront, Chen Zhong and Mu Gu, remained unmoved. Suddenly, their eyes blazed with crimson light, and they struck their bells and drums in unison. The two contrasting sound waves, one strong and one gentle, merged perfectly, forming a tight protective shield. The ripples spread out like waves, pushing and surging towards Xue Wanshan like a tide. The others were also affected by the sound of the bells and drums, and they all stopped and dodged to the side. For a moment, only Xue Wanshan and Chen Zhong and Mu Gu remained on the battlefield.

The Seven Absolute Sword's momentum was unstoppable, cleaving the incoming sonic wave in two. Its momentum did not diminish, and with the fury of wind and thunder, it struck the protective aura directly. Sword energy flew everywhere, sparks flew, and the shimmering sonic aura was shattered in just a few breaths. With a few cracking sounds, two figures broke through the shockwave as the aura shattered, and the Heavenly Scorpion Demonic Sound was played again, and the remaining sword energy was completely dissipated.

Xue Wanshan's eyes narrowed slightly. Without saying a word, his figure moved instantly, disappearing from the spot in the blink of an eye. When he reappeared, a sword pierced the air and descended, the long sword gleaming coldly, its target pointing directly at the morning bell.

Xue Wanshan had already realized that Chen Zhong and Mu Gu were not unharmed by that sword strike. At least in his perception, Chen Zhong's aura had suddenly weakened considerably. Therefore, he decided to kill one person first. Without Chen Zhong's cooperation, Mu Gu alone could not cause any trouble.

Just as Chen Zhong's aura was locked by Xue Wanshan's sword aura, Mu Gu made a move. His originally bloodshot eyes instantly regained their clarity. Looking at Chen Zhong, who was being worn down by sword aura not far away, his expression changed drastically. He hurriedly flew up and struck the drum surface hard with his right hand. The sound of the drum resounded through the sky, and the void trembled.

When Xue Wanshan saw Mu Gu's anxious expression, his eyes flashed slightly, but then turned fierce. He thrust his long sword forward, the sharp blade tearing through Chen Zhong's defensive aura. Mu Gu stared blankly as Xue Wanshan slashed at him, motionless, while Mu Gu, who was rushing towards him, was filled with rage.

"stop!"

The roar of Mu Gu rang in Xue Wanshan's ears, but Xue Wanshan's movements were a step faster. Sword flashes intertwined, leaving a shallow bloodstain on Chen Zhong's throat. Xue Wanshan neither dodged nor evaded, raising his hand to meet Mu Gu's attack. The latter unleashed his full power, his true energy surging forth, its power three parts greater than before. Xue Wanshan slightly restrained his strength, taking advantage of the moment their palms clashed to retreat, heading straight for the Sun and Moon Duo.

The Sun and Moon Duo, who had been watching from afar, were alarmed to see that Chen Zhong Mu Gu had been killed by Xue Wanshan in less than half an hour. At that moment, they realized with horror that Xue Wanshan was less than two zhang away from them—a distance that would be negligible for a master. "Attack!"

Yue Sha's face darkened. He reached into his robes and pulled out several fire grenades, channeling his true energy to launch them all at Xue Wanshan. Ri Sha followed closely behind, throwing out more than a dozen fire grenades. These fire grenades were all top-grade, specially made by the Thunderbolt Hall. One of them was enough to seriously injure a skilled fighter. With more than ten of them, even a first-rate expert would not fare well.

However, to their surprise, the already activated fire thunderbolts were sliced ​​in two by a bright sword light before they could even reach Xue Wanshan. The pungent smell filled the area, and the sword light disappeared without a trace after slicing through the fire thunderbolts.

"Oh no, this sword light..."

Yue Sha's expression changed drastically. This sword light was clearly Ni Qingfeng's sword move. He was horrified. If Ni Qingfeng were here, they would have no chance of survival at all.

However, just as the Sun and Moon Duo were stunned by the sword light, a ball of crimson-black light flew from afar and collided with the sword light, instantly dissolving into nothingness.

"Hall Master!"

When the Sun and Moon Duo saw Shangguan Yun striding through the air, they were overjoyed and rushed to his side to bow respectfully.

Seeing the two men in their disheveled state, Shangguan Yun waved for them to step aside. He then glanced at Mugu, who was holding the Morning Bell, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Instantly, Mugu's body paused abruptly, then he stood up, carefully put down the Morning Bell's body, and walked past Xue Wanshan back to Shangguan Yun's side.

"Sect Leader Xue, the moonlight is just right tonight. I have just completed my divine skill and need a top expert to test my moves. I hope you will not disappoint me."

Shangguan Yun stared coldly at Xue Wanshan. He had already realized that the sword strike Xue Wanshan had unleashed did indeed come from Ni Qingfeng. Although the technique of concealing the sword was impressive, it was not the true master present, so its power was much weaker. It might be enough to deal with Riyue and the others, but against him, Xue Wanshan was simply unlucky.

"Shangguan, you are so confident. It seems that those three dragon balls have helped you a lot. I have said before that these dragon balls have no preference. They are righteous when they encounter righteousness and evil when they encounter evil. Shangguan, you are now invaded by demonic energy, your mind is corrupted by demonic thoughts, and a demonic embryo has taken root. There is no way to save you."

Xue Wanshan also benefited from the Dragon Pearl, and was now only one step away from the Innate Realm. In the eyes of others, Shangguan Yun was no different except for some changes in appearance. However, in Xue Wanshan's eyes, the resolute and handsome Shangguan Yun in his memory presented an extremely bewitching face, which was almost covered with demonic patterns. Only a pair of scarlet eyes were left, flashing with a ferocious light that wanted to devour people. His body was surrounded by a crimson and black aura, with a foul smell and a sinister aura. Even several feet away from him, one could still feel the burning sensation.

"Heh, with the Dragon Ball in hand, I have the world at my fingertips. Once I've dealt with you, I'll uproot your Tianshan Sect completely and wipe you out completely. I'll make sure everyone in the martial arts world knows the consequences of offending my Zhongxin Hall."

"And that Ni Qingfeng, I will definitely not let him get away with it. I will torture him to death so that I can finally quell the hatred in my heart!"

Shangguan Yun roared, and crimson-black energy surged around him, instantly turning the surrounding vegetation yellow. A force of invasion rushed towards Xue Wanshan, whose expression changed drastically upon seeing this. With just a slight movement from Shangguan Yun, Xue Wanshan felt his internal energy uncontrollably surging towards him. Seeing this, Xue Wanshan immediately shifted his position, trying to break free from the suction force. However, at that moment, a muffled drumbeat sounded, and Xue Wanshan froze, losing his best chance to escape.

"Not good."

As Xue Wanshan watched himself being drawn closer and closer to Shangguan Yun, he planted his longsword in the ground, leaving a deep mark, but he still couldn't stop. Seeing that he was getting closer and closer to Shangguan Yun, Xue Wanshan's ears twitched slightly. He then drew his sword and charged forward. With the help of the suction, a dazzling sword light pierced straight into Shangguan Yun's heart.

Upon seeing this, Shangguan Yun snorted coldly, reached out and grabbed a ball of crimson-black light to block in front of him. After the sword light pierced it, Xue Wanshan's expression changed. The brilliant sword light seemed to be eroded, its spiritual light dimmed, and the crimson-black energy flowed upwards along the sword!

Seeing this, Xue Wanshan reacted extremely quickly, immediately injecting a stream of true energy into the longsword. He then swiftly released it, his figure flashing as he took the opportunity to retreat three feet. Just after he dodged, the longsword was instantly corroded into a pile of dust by the crimson-black energy, which was blown away before it even hit the ground.

Xue Wanshan looked sorrowful. This sword, which belonged to the sect leader, was passed down from his ancestors, but now it had been destroyed by his own hands.

Seeing that Xue Wanshan had lost his longsword, Shangguan Yun's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He then let out a deep shout, and crimson-black aura rose from his body, weaving into a huge, impenetrable net that enveloped Xue Wanshan. This net was formed from the dragon's wrath and was almost like poison to martial artists. Once caught in this net, an opponent would instantly lose their fighting ability. Shangguan Yun had used this move when dealing with Chen Zhong Mu Gu.

Seeing Shangguan Yun make another move, Xue Wanshan showed no panic, but relied on his agile movements to constantly move and dodge the giant net.

"A cornered beast's struggle!"

Seeing that Xue Wanshan had exhausted all his tricks, Shangguan Yun snorted coldly and reached out to grab the giant net in mid-air. The giant net suddenly shrank and fell rapidly towards a certain place. At the same time, Xue Wanshan landed in a certain spot, and the giant net fell just as it landed. Just then, the giant net was suddenly cut apart by a sharp sword light, scattering into a sky full of crimson and black energy. It tried to reassemble, but was trapped by a clear light that followed. The crimson and black energy seemed to have met its nemesis and kept crashing into the light barrier. However, in less than three breaths, the crimson and black energy was completely refined.

"Ni Qingfeng!"

Looking at the ethereal Taoist figure descending from the clouds, Shangguan Yun's heart sank. He had misjudged the situation. He hadn't expected Xue Wanshan to have such audacity, disregarding the defenses of Tianshan and only wanting to kill the Sun and Moon. He wasn't even afraid that he would launch a surprise attack on Tianshan and destroy its heritage.

"Senior brother, I'll stay here. Go check on Second Senior Brother."

Ni Qingfeng spoke to Xue Wanshan, who nodded, said "Be careful," and then quickly headed towards the other battlefields.

"You can't help much here if you go too."

With a wave of his hand, Shangguan Yun sent the Sun and Moon Duo and the Twilight Drum rushing toward the battlefield, leaving only Shangguan Yun and Ni Qingfeng behind.

A gentle breeze blew by, stirring up the withered grass on the ground. Shangguan Yun stared intently at Ni Qingfeng with his scarlet eyes and said in a deep voice, "I have never underestimated you before, but now it seems that I still cannot see through you. Who exactly are you?"

“I am Ni Qingfeng, and Ni Qingfeng is me. Shangguan Yun, the Dragon Pearl does not belong to you. Taking what does not belong to you will surely bring disaster. Now you have fallen into demonic ways and there is no way back.”

Ni Qingfeng looked at Shangguan Yun with his clear eyes. In his eyes, Shangguan Yun's body was riddled with holes, and wisps of demonic energy were emanating from him. The three dragon pearls hidden deep in his dantian had been completely fused into one, constantly drawing on Shangguan Yun's vital energy as their own nourishment. Now, Shangguan Yun was like a vessel, and when the dragon pearls no longer needed him, they would devour him completely.

"Whether I can turn back or not is not up to you. You've come at the right time, saving me from having to come to Tianshan one by one. As long as I get rid of the two of you, Tianshan will be within my grasp. Let's do it."

Upon hearing this, Ni Qingfeng fell silent and slowly drew his sword. A flash of light appeared on the gleaming blade, followed by a dazzling sword beam that shot straight towards Shangguan Yun's dantian.

(End of this chapter)