A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 361 Sword and Palm Clash
Ren Qianxing glanced at the masked Jian Xiong, sneered, and with a flash of cold light, his longsword was drawn, transforming into a dragon that charged straight at Jian Xiong. Upon seeing this, the latter immediately held his longsword horizontally, using the most basic move, "Cliff Crossing the Mountain," to block in front of him. With a clang, the tip of Ren Qianxing's longsword met Jian Xiong's blade. With a slight effort from Jian Xiong, Ren Qianxing's longsword was immediately deflected and fell back into Ren Qianxing's hand. With the longsword in hand, the latter moved in an instant, unleashing nine consecutive sword strikes. The scorching sword energy hissed through the air, enveloping several vital points on Jian Xiong's body.

This move is "Nine Suns Illumination" from the Ascending Dragon Sword Technique. When the sword is thrust out, nine sword energies will appear. Anyone who is pierced by the sword energies will be attacked by both the fierce energy and the sword energy.

Ren Qianxing had mastered this move to perfection, and his attacks were completely unhindered. Jian Xiong sensed the scorching sword energy pressing in and dared not be careless. He gently swung his longsword, like a fishing rod, and swiftly tapped the incoming sword energy nine times, causing the nine sword energies to dissipate instantly.

After Jianxiong broke Ren Qianxing's sword energy with "Nine Stars Pointing Down", he took the initiative and, without waiting for Ren Qianxing to make a move, his figure blurred, his long sword flipped and thrust straight at Ren Qianxing's left arm.

Seeing his opponent break his sword technique so easily, Ren Qianxing's heart sank slightly. Before he could think further, the opponent's attack came again. Ren Qianxing immediately flipped his wrist, and his longsword clashed with Jian Xiong's longsword. The blades crossed, sparks flew, and a sound that made one's head spin. The two figures shifted and their positions were reversed. Ren Qianxing knew that his opponent's martial arts were no less than his own. He shouted and gathered his true energy. The longsword in his hand hummed. He moved like a dragon, and the longsword spit out a cold light as he attacked Jian Xiong.

Jianxiong's expression changed slightly. This Ren Qianxing was indeed a sword-wielding prodigy. This Denglong Sword Technique, which was not considered top-notch, was able to exert power far beyond that of ordinary people in his hands. Given time, he would surely be able to innovate and comprehend his own sword moves.

"Ding Ding Ding"

The sound of swords clashing was incessant, illuminating a sliver of light in the dark courtyard. In just a few breaths, the two swords clashed dozens of times. The more Jianxiong fought Ren Qianxing, the more he could feel his opponent's strength rising. After a while, Jianxiong suddenly felt his sword getting heavier and heavier, and the two switched roles. Previously, Jianxiong could attack in seven out of ten moves, but now he could only defend.

"The test has been completed, but I'm still somewhat unwilling to back down like this."

Jianxiong had already achieved her goal, but as the young master of Sword Forging City, she also had her own pride and absolutely could not lose to Ren Qianxing in swordsmanship.

With a slash of their longswords, their blades clashed, and the surge of true energy caused both of them to tremble slightly and retreat simultaneously. Jian Xiong's aura became slightly disordered, while Ren Qianxing on the other side remained calm and composed, his face expressionless.

"Let's try the Tai Chi sword technique that the Taoist priest taught us."

Jianxiong took a deep breath, turned his longsword, and was about to unleash the Tai Chi sword technique when Ren Qianxing's eyes flashed slightly. With a swift movement, his longsword swept through the air with a thunderous sound. Jianxiong's expression changed, and he hurriedly used a defensive sword move to barely block Ren Qianxing's longsword. However, at that moment, Ren Qianxing's longsword pressed down on Jianxiong's sword, and Jianxiong immediately lost his balance, his body slumped, and his face instantly turned red.

"You cowardly rat, how dare you act so presumptuously in Sword Forging City! Once I capture you, I'll hand you over to the young city lord for punishment!"

Ren Qianxing spoke coldly, adding three more points of force. Jian Xiong's slumping body sank even lower, and just as he was about to kneel on the ground, Ren Qianxing suddenly felt a force of resistance coming from the sword, which was constantly easing his sword energy.

"To resist stubbornly is suicidal!"

Just as Ren Qianxing was about to crush his opponent with a single sword strike, he suddenly felt his hand loosen and the force on his sword suddenly fell into empty air. But his opponent was still in front of him. What was going on?

With a bang, Ren Qianxing swung out a palm without hesitation, clashing with Jianxiong's palm force. Jianxiong's skill was slightly inferior, and in the clash of energy, he retreated three steps and exhaled a breath of turbid air before he was able to neutralize the opponent's force.

"As expected of Guan Yutian's disciple, his swordsmanship is exquisite and his palm strikes are powerful. Guan Yutian has a worthy successor."

The rough, hoarse voice made Ren Qianxing frown slightly. Looking at the masked swordsman, Ren Qianxing pointed his longsword diagonally upwards, his left hand secretly gathering strength.

Ren Qianxing still had no clue how the other party had managed to break free from his suppression, so it was better to remain still than to make a move.

"Who are you!"

Ren Qianxing uttered a deep voice and received a series of sword lights, rings within rings, rushing towards him. Ren Qianxing had never seen such swordsmanship before. He secretly reserved three-tenths of his strength and only used seven-tenths of his external power to defend. The sword lights flashed and clashed, and the rings were constantly shattered, but they would quickly reappear. In the end, Ren Qianxing was horrified. His Ascending Dragon Sword Technique was like a dragon trapped in shallow water in this sword move. No matter how he attacked, he could not break through the opponent's restraint. Moreover, as time passed, his true energy was also severely depleted.

"Since we can't win with swordsmanship, let's try the Mighty Dragon Palm."

Ren Qianxing cleaved through several sword fists with a single sword strike. Taking advantage of the opening, he secretly gathered palm power in his left hand and unleashed a thunderous palm strike. A majestic five-clawed golden dragon appeared, its scales and claws flying as it charged directly at the dense array of sword circles. Upon seeing this, Jian Xiong swiftly used his Tai Chi sword technique, creating a series of rings that encircled the golden dragon.

The golden dragon's palm energy was extraordinary. With a sweep of its tail and a breath exhaled from its head, all the sword circles in the arena were swept away. The sword circles that Jian Xiong launched with his sword were either knocked away or shattered when they landed on it. When the energy clashed with Jian Xiong's, his blood and qi surged. He forcibly suppressed his internal injuries, let out a deep shout, and poured most of his true qi into his longsword. With a whoosh, the longsword shot towards the divine golden dragon like lightning. He then used his lightness skill to turn around and run away.

Ren Qianxing was powerless to stop his opponent. Although the Mighty Dragon Palm was powerful enough to sweep away all obstacles, it also consumed a lot of his true energy. This palm strike had almost drained ninety percent of his power.

After sweeping away the Tai Chi sword circle, the golden dragon in the arena also dimmed. Then, it was stabbed by Jianxiong's flying sword and immediately exploded. The long sword was instantly shattered by the collision of the two forces, and the broken blade flew in all directions.

Ren Qianxing swept his sleeve away, dispelling the shockwave from the broken blade, and stared intently in the direction where Jian Xiong had left.

"This swordsman's skill is nothing special, but his sword technique is quite profound. In the Sword Forging City, there is only one person with such ability."

When Jianxiong made his first move, Ren Qianxing had already discovered his identity. The reason he didn't reveal it was firstly to save face for both sides, and secondly because he wanted to see how skilled this young city lord was. Now, after their exchange, Ren Qianxing has gained a lot of useful information.

"That person taught Jianxiong sword techniques. Could it be that the Sword Master has reached some kind of consensus with this person? This Taoist's origins are unpredictable, his martial arts are extremely high, and he stands on the side of Sword Casting City. He will surely be an obstacle to Master's unification of the martial arts world in the future."

Ren Qianxing's eyes flickered with emotion. After a moment of contemplation, he turned and went back to his room.

On the other side, after returning to his residence, Jianxiong didn't even have time to change his clothes. He sat cross-legged on the ground, circulated his true energy, and dissolved the stagnant blood in his body. After a while, Jianxiong opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

"This Mighty Dragon Palm truly lives up to its reputation as the number one technique in the world. It is domineering, fierce, and indestructible. Fortunately, Ren Qianxing only learned a little bit of it and was weakened by the Tai Chi Sword Technique. Otherwise, if this palm had landed on me, I would have had to recuperate for at least a month."

Jianxiong stood up and looked out the window. His eyes suddenly sharpened. During this period of time, under the guidance of the Taoist priest, his martial arts skills had improved significantly, if not by leaps and bounds. He originally thought that he was not much different from Ren Qianxing, but now it seems that he still has a long way to go to catch up.

"Once the Dragon Sword team brings Yao Yuansheng back, we can start collecting those medicinal herbs. Then we can ask the Taoist priest to refine the Heaven-Mending Pill. As long as my innate constitution is replenished, I am confident that I can cultivate the Dragon Riding Slash to the sixth level within five years."

When Ren Qianxing was a guest in Sword Forging City, Master Sixin disguised herself and entered the territory of the Supreme Alliance. After a month of searching, Master Sixin still could not find a suitable successor.

"The Jiangnan martial arts world, under the leadership of the Supreme Alliance, is a land of outstanding people and talents. Perhaps I can find a disciple that satisfies me there."

The nun immediately changed direction and headed east along the waterway. Half a month later, she arrived at the Supreme Alliance. Just as she stepped onto the dock, she suddenly saw the porters on the dock put down their loads and marked the spot before swarming off in one direction.

"Excuse me, young man, what's the deal with these people?"

The nun, feeling puzzled, asked a young man beside her.

"Oh, it must be that the Food God's House is distributing tonic soup. If you go too late, it will be gone." The more Master Sixin listened, the more confused she became. After asking several times, she finally found out what the tonic soup was.

It turns out that Liu Yiyi, the female food goddess of Shishenju, would brew six large vats of nourishing soup made with various medicinal herbs on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month, and offer it to the people for free. One bowl of this nourishing soup could replenish vital energy and blood, and ordinary people who drank it regularly could feel light and healthy and free from illness and disaster.

"Great!"

A glint flashed in the eyes of the nun, who was now quite interested in this Liu Yiyi. After asking the young man for directions to the Food God's Residence, the nun hurried off towards that place.

When she arrived, there was already a long queue outside the Food God's Residence, stretching as far as the eye could see. Seeing this, Master Sixin immediately joined the queue behind someone. After some time, just as Master Sixin could see the six large vats, a sudden commotion arose. Master Sixin looked in the direction of the sound and saw a burly man with a fierce face arguing with a waiter at the Food God's Residence. Just as his hands, as big as palm fans, were about to grab the waiter and throw him away, a beautiful figure suddenly flew out from inside the Food God's Residence. With a flick of her delicate hand, the burly man cried out in surprise and quickly withdrew his hands.

"The Goddess of Cookery!"

When the people in line saw the beautiful woman appear, they cheered. Just moments ago, they were about to attack the big man, but they didn't expect the female food goddess to take action herself.

"Seven-Star Needle!"

The nun clearly saw that the silver needle that flashed in the beautiful woman's hand must be Sai Huatuo's unique skill. But how could Liu Yiyi know Sai Huatuo's kung fu? Could she be his successor?

Thinking of this, Abbess Sixin felt a sense of foreboding, and this conjecture was quite possible. The tonic soup in the jar contained a number of ingredients that only someone like Hua Tuo would dare to use; ordinary doctors would not have such courage.

"You dare to act wildly outside my Food God's Abode? From today onwards, you don't need to come here."

After hearing the waiter's story, Liu Yiyi immediately disliked the big man. He was clearly a martial arts practitioner, but he pretended to be an ordinary person drinking the tonic soup. Pretending to be an ordinary person was fine, as long as he didn't cause trouble, the waiter serving the soup would turn a blind eye. But she didn't expect this man to be so greedy and want to drink several more bowls, which made things difficult for the waiter. After some unsuccessful negotiations, this disturbance occurred.

The nun stared intently at Liu Yiyi. This woman had a beautiful face, a graceful figure, a well-proportioned body, long fingers, and considerable internal strength. She was the perfect candidate to inherit her unique skills.

"Let's wait and see. If she really becomes Sai Huatuo's disciple, we can discuss it with him. At the very least, we can let her have more masters and learn more martial arts, which would be a good thing."

The burly man was enraged after being injured by the Seven Star Needles. Although he knew that Liu Yiyi was skilled in martial arts, he still believed that men dominated the martial arts world. He wondered how much skill this woman could possibly have, and what difference would it make if he drank a few more bowls of soup?

"The Goddess of Food has quite the arrogance. Although this is the Goddess of Food's Abode, it is still within the territory of the Supreme Alliance. Does the Goddess of Food intend to make an enemy of our Supreme Alliance?"

The burly man was clearly no nobody; he revealed his identity as soon as he spoke. As soon as he said this, the onlookers scattered and kept their distance. The Supreme Alliance was not someone to be trifled with, and these ordinary people didn't want to offend this man for a bowl of soup.

Seeing the crowd disperse, Liu Yiyi felt a little disappointed, but she quickly composed herself, stepped forward, and said to the big man, "I am aware of the prestige of the Supreme Alliance Leader, but who are you to dare represent the Supreme Alliance? Where do you place Director Qianxing of the White Tiger Hall?"

Liu Yiyi didn't want to argue with this man; she just wanted to teach him a lesson. She hoped to scare him away by using Ren Qianxing's name. However, to her surprise, the big man paused slightly upon hearing Ren Qianxing's name, then burst into laughter and brazenly scanned Liu Yiyi.

"Trying to intimidate me with Ren Qianxing? Hmph, I belong to the Azure Dragon Hall under Master Sima. Ren Qianxing of the White Tiger Hall has no authority over me. I heard that the Goddess of Food is on good terms with Ren Qianxing, but I didn't believe it. Now it seems that the two of you are indeed bosom friends."

The burly man stared at Liu Yiyi with ill intent, making sarcastic remarks. Upon hearing this, the onlookers all changed color slightly. They did not know that this female food goddess had such a relationship with the White Tiger Hall Master. Some people even felt contempt. This fairy-like figure was actually mixed with that ruthless villain. It was simply a disgrace to the Food God's Residence.

"So you've come here to cause trouble. If that's the case, then please lay out your terms, and Liu Yiyi will accept them all."

Now that things have come to this, Liu Yiyi knows perfectly well that this person is deliberately causing trouble, and that Qianxing must not be in the Supreme Alliance at this time, otherwise this person would not be so arrogant. The only way now is to deal with him severely, otherwise if not handled properly, today's chaos will never end.

"I've long heard that the Goddess of Cookery is an excellent cook. My master loves food the most. Why don't you join me at the next Supreme Alliance event and cook the best dishes for my master? Name your price."

Seeing that Liu Yiyi's face remained calm and unchanged despite the foul language, the burly man's expression turned serious. Sure enough, a woman who could catch Ren Qianxing's eye must be extraordinary. If he could bring Liu Yiyi back to the Supreme Alliance, the Hall Master would surely reward him handsomely. After all, it was the Hall Master's favorite thing to do to humiliate Ren Qianxing.

"I'm sorry to have to obey."

Liu Yiyi's resounding four words pleased Abbess Sixin even more. Turning her gaze to the burly man, a fierce glint flashed in Abbess Sixin's eyes. This man was being unreasonable and deserved to die. However, seeing that Liu Yiyi had a plan in mind, Abbess Sixin decided to observe quietly and see how she would deal with the situation.

"Then there's nothing more to say, Goddess of Cookery. You won't listen to reason, so come with me."

Hearing Liu Yiyi's unwavering refusal, the burly man remained expressionless, clapped his hands, and four more people emerged from the crowd, each taking a stand on one side, subtly surrounding Liu Yiyi.

The sheer size of the Supreme Alliance's forces immediately intimidated the onlookers, and within moments, outside the Food God's Abbess, only Liu Yiyi and the five members of the Supreme Alliance remained.

"Ma'am, this place is not safe. You'd better leave quickly."

Liu Yiyi saw the lonely nun standing not far away and immediately reminded her. The big man glanced at the nun and said to Liu Yiyi, "She can't even take care of herself, yet she still has the mind to remind others. The Goddess of Food is indeed compassionate."

As soon as he finished speaking, the burly man suddenly attacked, unleashing a powerful palm strike aimed directly at Liu Yiyi. At the same time, the other four men also made their moves, targeting Liu Yiyi's limbs to restrict her movements. Liu Yiyi hurriedly retreated, but the palm strike pressed on relentlessly. Further on was the Food God's Abode. Liu Yiyi let out a sharp cry, a flash of cold light in her hand, and several Seven Star Needles flew out. However, the palm strike was far too fierce, and Liu Yiyi was not skilled with the Seven Star Needles. In the blink of an eye, the needles were obliterated by the palm strike.

"This man's Wind and Thunder Palm technique is quite skilled. For an unknown nobody to have such power shows the prosperity of the Supreme Alliance. No wonder he can fight against Sword Casting City and Sea Shark Palace on his own. Guan Yutian is truly a hero."

The nun watched the fight in the arena. Although she thought they were all minor squabbles, there were still many things worth watching.

Seeing that Liu Yiyi had used the Seven Star Needles to alleviate the Wind and Thunder Palm energy, and that she had escaped the encirclement in an instant thanks to her agile movements, the burly man snorted coldly and charged forward. The other four men hurriedly followed, and the five of them formed a fan-shaped semi-encirclement around Liu Yiyi.

Liu Yiyi realized that apart from the burly man in the lead who was somewhat troublesome, the others were nothing special. However, she did not dare to be careless. Although she had Senior Sai and the others behind her, if they made a move, it would definitely alert Guan Yutian.

"This man's martial arts skills are all in the Wind and Thunder Palm technique. His lower body is unstable. Find an opportunity to use the Seven Star Needle to lock the Shenmen acupoint on his wrist. This will break his Wind and Thunder Palm technique."

Just as Liu Yiyi was pondering a way to break the deadlock, a gentle voice entered her ears.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yiyi's face lit up with joy. She glanced around and noticed that the old woman opposite her was smiling at her. Liu Yiyi immediately understood what was going on and focused her attention on the big man.

(End of this chapter)