A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 352 Guan Yutian

In the center of the Food God's residence, Liu Yiyi frowned slightly after hearing Sai Huatuo's words. Then, glancing at the noisy guests around her, she said to the two of them, "Seniors, this is not the place to talk. Please come with me."

Liu Yiyi gestured inwards, and the Sai Huatuo couple nodded in agreement. The three of them then passed through the hall and sat down in the pavilion in the backyard.

"Seniors, I will do my best to find out the whereabouts of Senior Immortal of Wine. However, as you know, this is the territory of the Supreme Alliance, and I dare not be too presumptuous. It may take a while."

Liu Yiyi had no reason to refuse, but she couldn't ignore the current situation of the Food God's Abode. Although the Food God's Abode wasn't a major power, Guan Yutian had always coveted its ability to gather information and wanted to annex it. If it weren't for Ren Qianxing's intervention and the final decision to relocate here, her Food God's Abode would probably have become a vassal of the Supreme Alliance, just like other sects.

Although the Food God's Abode still treats the Supreme Alliance with disdain, the constraints they face are increasing. A slight misstep could lead to annihilation. Liu Yiyi is unwilling to put Ren Qianxing in a difficult position, so she can only try her best to mediate.

“Yiyi is right, old man. Guan Yutian has been coveting the Food God’s Residence for a long time. We can’t make things difficult for Yiyi. It’s fine if it takes a long time, as long as we can keep inquiring about the situation.”

Seeing that Sai Huatuo was about to say something, Sai Xishi hurriedly tugged at Sai Huatuo's sleeve and gave him a wink, while Liu Yiyi pretended not to see it.

"Then we'll leave everything to Yiyi. We two old folks haven't been out of the martial arts world for a long time, and we're not quite used to the changes. You can decide what to do yourself."

"Don't worry, seniors, Yiyi knows what to do. Since we're here today, please try some of the dishes I've made. Please wait a moment, I'll be right back."

After Liu Yiyi had tea and snacks served, she said a few more words and then left the backyard, returning to the second floor of the restaurant. At this moment, Ren Qianxing had already finished a plate of lion's head meatballs. When he saw Liu Yiyi return, his originally cold face instantly broke into a smile.

"Yiyi."

"So, is the lion's head meatball to your liking?" Liu Yiyi looked at the clean plate and smiled at Ren Qianxing.

"These lion's head meatballs are fatty but not greasy, smooth in the mouth, and leave a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth. Your skills are getting better and better. I wish I could eat them more often."

Ren Qianxing said a lot of nice things, and Liu Yiyi chuckled and said modestly, "It's not as exaggerated as you say. If you want to eat it, come to Shishenju from now on, and I'll cook it for you personally."

"real!"

"real."

"Then it's a deal."

Ren Qianxing was thrilled, but then he thought of Yan Zangfeng and felt very unhappy. However, he still put on a happy face in front of Liu Yiyi.

"I still have things to take care of in my hall, so I'll be leaving now." Ren Qianxing knew that things would work out in the long run, so he bid farewell to Liu Yiyi, picked up his sword, and left behind a silver ingot.

"You come here, do you expect me to charge you? Take it away, take it away."

When Liu Yiyi saw that Ren Qianxing had left the silver, her smile disappeared. She casually stuffed the silver ingot into Ren Qianxing's hand, and he accepted it without hesitation.

"By the way, Yiyi, be careful of the person who took out the Thousand Feather Flying Needles. Also, if you need any help, send someone to the Supreme Alliance and I will do my best to help you."

Without waiting for Liu Yiyi's reply, Ren Qianxing walked past her, his steps light and quick as he went downstairs, out of the Food God's Residence, and headed towards the Supreme Alliance.

Meanwhile, three miles away from the Food God's Residence, in an elegant courtyard, a woman was having dinner with a handsome, refined scholar, and the two were chatting as they ate.

“Zang Feng, your uncle wrote a letter the day before yesterday, saying that he will be coming to our house soon.”

Yan Zangfeng was taken aback upon hearing this, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and asked in confusion, "Uncle?"

Yan Zangfeng knew that his father was an only child and had never heard of any uncles.

“He was your father’s sworn brother, a man of unparalleled wisdom. He was the first disciple of the late Tianjizi, the head of the Tianji Sect. He was a scholar of both heaven and man, proficient in Qimen Dunjia, medicine, divination, astrology, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and prose. He was an intimate friend of your father. You were too young to remember clearly then. After your father disappeared, your uncle searched for him everywhere, and that search lasted for twenty years.”

Mother Yan placed a piece of food in Yan Zangfeng's bowl with her chopsticks, sighed, and then continued, "Your uncle knows you are preparing for the imperial examination, so he came back specially to test your knowledge. Zangfeng, you must humbly learn from him. You know, the martial arts world is dangerous, and your mother really doesn't want you to step into this vortex. Just honestly take the imperial examination, get an official position in the future, and live an ordinary life. Even if your mother dies in the future, you can be worthy of your father and the ancestors of the Yan family."

Mother Yan looked at Yan Zangfeng with hopeful eyes, and the latter hurriedly said, "Mother, don't worry, I will definitely live up to your expectations and pass the imperial examination. Don't say anything about dying again."

"Alright, alright, Zangfeng, eat quickly. Go to Yiyi's place later and bring her the things your mother prepared. This child must be working very hard running the restaurant all by himself." Mother Yan wiped away her tears and instructed Yan Zangfeng.

Mother Yan liked Liu Yiyi very much, so she planned to have the two of them get married after Cang Feng achieved fame and success in the imperial examinations, thus fulfilling her own wish.

"Got it, mother."

Yan Zangfeng's eyes lit up when he heard Liu Yiyi's name. He quickly ate his meal, and a moment later, he changed into a water-patterned shirt, carried a package on his back, bid farewell to his mother, and headed towards the direction of the Food God's Residence.

Behind a lush tree not far from the Yan family, Bai Yu'er peeked out and watched Yan Cangfeng gradually disappear into the distance. Her eyes flickered, and she quietly followed him.

Ren Qianxing had just returned to the Supreme Alliance when he saw Sima Tian walking towards him. He immediately frowned, not wanting to meet him. Just as Ren Qianxing was about to walk around him, Sima Tian's eyes sharpened, and then he put on a smile, took a few quick steps, and blocked Ren Qianxing's path.

"Master Ren, where are we going?"

"Master Sima, you seem to have quite the leisurely pace. It seems the troubles within the hall have been mostly resolved. Congratulations! Once Master emerges from seclusion, I will certainly recommend you for credit."

"you!"

Sima Tian's face turned ugly as he listened to the sarcasm in Ren Qianxing's words. Among the four halls, who wasn't watching the Azure Dragon Hall make a fool of itself? Even small sects like Shennong Sect and Jade Goddess Palace had been unable to take it down for a long time and had lost a lot of manpower. In the Supreme Alliance, many people laughed at the Azure Dragon Hall for being full of good-for-nothings. Some even secretly mocked Sima Tian for being unworthy of his position, occupying the first hall position for nothing.

"I have other matters to attend to and cannot keep you company." Ren Qianxing didn't bother to look at Sima Tian again, walked past him, and headed towards the main hall. Sima Tian, ​​watching Ren Qianxing's back, could hardly conceal the sinister look in his eyes.

"What's with the arrogance? Once Guan Yutian dies, your good days will be over. I'll put up with you for a few years. When I become the leader of the Supreme Alliance, you'll be the first one I deal with."

Sima Tian snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and turned back to his Azure Dragon Hall.

Ren Qianxing returned to the main hall and was about to deal with the accumulated miscellaneous tasks when a familiar voice suddenly reached his ears.

"Qianxing, this is my trip after you come."

"Master!"

Ren Qianxing jumped up in surprise and quickly walked towards the back hall. After arriving at a secret room, he activated the mechanism according to a specific method. With a few clicks, the door of the secret room opened. Before he even entered, Ren Qianxing felt a scorching wave of heat rushing towards him from inside. He hurriedly circulated his qi to resist it. After a few breaths, Ren Qianxing felt the pressure in the outside room lessen. With a swift movement, he rushed inside.

"Master!"

Ren Qianxing rushed into the secret chamber and looked at the imposing figure sitting on the platform, obscured by the shockwave. He couldn't help but utter a soft murmur.

"sit."

A majestic voice rang out, and then the rolling waves of air that filled the secret chamber flowed into the sea like ten thousand rivers, and were slowly drawn into Guan Yutian's belly. A red light flashed on his face, and his eyes opened. It was as if lightning flashed in the secret chamber. Ren Qianxing was immediately startled when he saw this.

"Electricity arises from emptiness; Master's martial arts have improved considerably." "Congratulations, Master, on mastering your divine skills!"

Ren Qianxing hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down. Guan Yutian laughed loudly when he saw this, then raised his right hand in a gesture, and Ren Qianxing involuntarily straightened up.

"It's all worth it after all these days of hard training. You've finally mastered the Dragon Palm. Qianxing, thank you for your hard work these past few days."

Guan Yutian rose and stepped down from the platform. Ren Qianxing immediately picked up the magnificent robe from the clothes rack beside him and helped Guan Yutian put it on. While adjusting his crown, he said, "This disciple dares not complain of hardship. Everything is thanks to Master's prestige. Only then was this disciple able to handle all matters smoothly. Now that Master has come out of seclusion, this disciple can also relieve himself of this heavy burden."

"Hmm, what's wrong? Have you become addicted to being the head of this hall? After your master passes away, the position of the Supreme Alliance will still be handed over to you. Saying such things makes me very disappointed."

Guan Yutian fastened his hairband and looked at Ren Qianxing with dissatisfaction. Upon hearing this, the latter immediately knelt down and said, "Master is in the prime of his life and is the time to lead the Supreme Alliance to unify the martial world. My position as the leader of the White Tiger Hall has already caused controversy. I dare not ask for too much. Please forgive me, Master."

"Alright, I know your difficulties. This is fine. You should take control of the White Tiger Hall first. As for the other three halls, you don't need to worry about the Azure Dragon Hall. I have my own solutions. You can try to befriend the Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird Halls. They will be of great help to you in managing the Supreme Alliance in the future."

Although Guan Yutian was very satisfied with Ren Qianxing's attitude, he thought that the Supreme Alliance had expanded too quickly in recent years and had complex factions. The reason why there was no internal strife was entirely due to Guan Yutian's personal prestige and the external threats from Sword Forging City and Sea Shark Palace.

"Tell me, has anything major happened recently?"

Guan Yutian sat on the throne, and Ren Qianxing immediately poured a cup of water for him and said, "Master instructed us to keep an eye on that mysterious Taoist. He went to the Sea Shark Palace two months ago and left safely. He then went to the Sword Casting City and has not appeared since. In addition, the couple Sai Huatuo and Sai Xishi of the Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust have recently arrived at the God of Food's Abode. I don't know why they came. I have already arranged for people to keep an eye on them."

Guan Yutian listened to Ren Qianxing's report while drinking tea, nodding occasionally.

"Helian Ba ​​must have also failed to get away with it from that Taoist priest. Otherwise, given his ruthless and vicious nature, he would never have let him leave the Sea Shark Palace peacefully. It was expected that he would go to the Sword Forging City to become a master, but it is a problem that he has not left yet. Qianxing, have someone keep a close eye on the Sword Forging City and report back immediately if there is any situation."

"Yes, Master."

Guan Yutian's heart sank slightly. This Taoist priest had gone to the Sword Forging City and would surely know about the Frost Sword. He had been planning for many years, and if something went wrong in this person's hands, it would be a huge problem. Although he had mastered the Mighty Dragon Palm, he knew that he was still slightly inferior to that person.

“Take it one step at a time. We still have about five years. If we can swallow up the Sea Shark Palace and the Dead Heart Sect, then Sword Casting City will be unable to hold on alone. No matter how high that Taoist’s martial arts are, can he stop this army of thousands of troops?”

"Qianxing, I just heard you say that Hua Tuo and his wife have arrived at the Food God's Abode. Perfect timing. In three days, send someone with my invitation to invite them to a meeting at my Supreme Alliance."

Guan Yutian knew that Ren Qianxing and Liu Yiyi had a special relationship and did not want to put his disciple in a difficult position. However, Ren Qianxing said, "Master, the Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust have a great reputation. Sending those subordinates would be an insult to our Supreme Alliance. Let me go myself."

"Alright, in that case, I'll leave this matter to you."

Guan Yutian was surprised by Ren Qianxing's answer and a smile immediately appeared on his face. It seemed that this disciple could still distinguish between what was important and what was not.

“Master, there is one more thing, which concerns Hall Master Sima, your disciple…”

Before Ren Qianxing could finish speaking, Guan Yutian waved his hand and said, "I have long known about Sima Tian's matter. This man has already harbored treacherous intentions and is colluding with Helian Ba. If it weren't for the consideration of the elders of the Azure Dragon Hall, his previous merits, and the fact that he has not caused irreversible damage to the Supreme Alliance, I would have killed him long ago."

"Another reason I kept him around was to lure Helian Ba ​​into a trap. The Sea Shark Palace is easy to defend but difficult to attack. If we travel thousands of miles, we will be attacking the enemy's strength with our own weaknesses. Even if we win, we will have to pay a considerable price. Then, when we have to deal with the Sword Forging City, which is not weak, the outcome will be unpredictable."

“Master, your wisdom and foresight are admirable. I would like to ask for your guidance on how to deal with Sima Tian.”

Upon hearing this, Ren Qianxing understood that the day Helian Ba ​​took the bait would be the day Sima Tian died, so he didn't need to worry about a dead man.

"Withdraw all the people monitoring him and let him do as he pleases. I want to see what tricks he can come up with."

Hearing his master's cold words, Ren Qianxing felt a surge of satisfaction. After saying some unimportant things to Guan Yutian, Ren Qianxing saw that his master had no further instructions. He bowed again and retreated from the secret chamber. He then returned to the main hall, summoned his subordinates, and spread the news that Guan Yutian had emerged from seclusion.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the entire Supreme Alliance came alive. Ren Qianxing looked at the lively scene outside and couldn't help but feel that his master's reputation was so strong that he could mobilize the entire Supreme Alliance with a single move. He realized that he still had a long way to go.

Sword Forging City, Sword Forging Mountain

Gu Xu followed the Sword Master slowly up the mountain path. The higher they went, the hotter it became. When they reached the mountainside, the heat filled the air and the void distorted. The mountain was covered in a crimson veil, appearing completely red.

"Master, the sword forging workshop is not far ahead. Please follow me."

Sword Master gestured and walked forward. A moment later, a cave entrance about ten feet high appeared in front of them. Outside the cave were four middle-aged men with bare upper bodies and swords. The leader, upon seeing Sword Master, hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully bowed to him.

"City Lord!"

"Hmm." Sword Master nodded and invited Gu Xu beside him. As the two entered the cave, the scorching heat lessened considerably, and Gu Xu could feel a cool breeze blowing from the depths of the cave, dispelling the heat.

"Please come in, Daoist Master. This cave was created by our ancestors. It draws in the fire of the earth's evil spirits below and connects with the cold moon's energy above, achieving a balance of yin and yang. It is truly the best place to forge weapons. The Sword Forging City owes its current status entirely to this place. Daoist Master, please look, that is the lava pool."

As the Sword Master led Gu Xu into the inner room, he explained things to him. Following the Sword Master's guidance, Gu Xu saw a large red pool covering an area of ​​about an acre in the distance. Lava was churning inside, and black smoke and dust were rising. Each time it churned, bright pearls on the cave ceiling would absorb the black smoke and dust. After the light dimmed, someone would take them down and replace them with new ones.

"That is the Dust Condensation Pearl, which is made of a kind of stone from the mountains. However, with hundreds of years of mining, the Dust Condensation Pearl has become increasingly rare. In a few decades, the Dust Condensation Pearl will be exhausted."

"It seems the city lord already had a plan."

Gu Xu guessed that since the Sword Master was aware of this problem, he must have found a solution. Otherwise, if something unexpected happened here, the decline of Sword Forging City would be inevitable.

“Indeed, I do have some ideas, but the time is not yet ripe. Daoist, the sword forging workshop is just ahead.”

Sword Master didn't explain the method, and Gu Xu wasn't interested in knowing. Hearing the clanging sounds coming from ahead, Gu Xu followed Sword Master to a very large workshop. Inside, dozens of people were hammering and banging away, some forging, some pulling furnaces, and some quenching. Everyone was focused and dedicated, and Sword Master's arrival did not hinder their work at all.

"With such skilled blacksmiths, it's no wonder that Sword Forging City can dominate the region."

With just a slight observation, Gu Xu could tell that almost every one of these dozens of people was a master of internal energy, a backbone of the martial arts world. Some even possessed a restrained divine light and surging power, making them far superior to the Four Great Sword Masters.

"These people are the true foundation of our Sword Forging City. With them, Sword Forging City can always maintain its vitality and life. However, in recent years, there has been a shortage of young talents. The scene of hundreds of people working hard to forge swords in my father's generation still lingers in my mind."

Sword Master looked at the swordsmith in front of him and sighed. Gu Xu, seeing this, said, "City Lord, there is no need to belittle yourself. Under your leadership, Sword Forging City is becoming more and more prosperous. It is not impossible to restore the glory of our ancestors."

"Then I am honored by your kind words, Daoist Master."

Upon hearing Gu Xu's words, Sword Master's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Just then, a shirtless young man wielding a sword rushed over in a panic. Seeing Sword Master, he said urgently, "City Lord, what about Ling Shuang Sword..."

Before the young man could finish speaking, the Sword Master's expression changed, and he walked towards the Sword Refining Pool. After taking a few steps, he suddenly remembered Gu Xu and hurriedly turned around to apologize to Gu Xu. The latter quickly said, "City Lord, you may go if you have business to attend to. I will just stroll around here."

Upon hearing this, the Sword Master hesitated for a moment before saying, "Daoist, since we're here, let's go and see the Frost Sword together."

Gu Xu was taken aback upon hearing this, then said "okay," and the two immediately headed towards the sword-refining pool.

(End of this chapter)