A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 364 Huangfu Changhen
Sword Forging City, Valley Void Residence
When Jianxiong heard Gu Xu mention the Sea Shark Palace, his gaze narrowed slightly. Both the Sea Shark Palace and the Supreme Alliance were powerful sects in the world. In terms of foundation, the Sea Shark Palace was slightly better, while in terms of strength and reputation, the Supreme Alliance had a slight advantage. These two sects were located in the south and the east, respectively. If a conflict were to break out, at least half of the Central Plains would be engulfed in war. At that time, Sword Casting City might also be drawn into it.

"Daoist Master, the Supreme Alliance has only been integrating the martial arts world of Jiangnan for half a year. Will it really clash head-on with the Sea Shark Palace?"

It's no wonder Jianxiong asked that question. The Supreme Alliance will need at least two or three years to digest the results of its annexation of various sects. What can half a year do? If internal chaos occurs when it clashes with the Sea Shark Palace, it will be extremely bad. The Sea Shark Palace might even seize the opportunity to severely damage it.

Gu Xu shook his head upon hearing this and explained, "It is precisely because the Supreme Alliance is prone to internal chaos that it needs an external opponent to temporarily suppress the conflicts. In the face of interests, any conflict can be reconciled. Right now, the Supreme Alliance is at its zenith, while the Sea Shark Palace is declining. With this advance and retreat, the gap between the two sides has become apparent. Although Helian Ba ​​has some ability, he is narrow-minded and full of suspicion. In the more than ten years since he took over the Sea Shark Palace, its sphere of influence has been shrinking. If it weren't for the recent recovery of the Southeast Islands, the Sea Shark Palace would probably be fish on the chopping block."

"In addition, there are many factions within the Supreme Alliance. In the early days, Guan Yutian may have turned a blind eye and let them do whatever they wanted. But now that the Supreme Alliance is stable, it is time to clear away the obstacles within the alliance and pave the way for the next leader."

After Gu Xu finished speaking, Jian Xiong pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized what he had said and looked at Gu Xu with admiration.

"Now that you mention it, Daoist, I understand. Given Guan Yutian's temperament, he will definitely implement this two-birds-with-one-stone plan. However, Helian Ba ​​will certainly not sit idly by and wait for his doom. He will definitely confront Guan Yutian first to test his strength. If it succeeds, it will damage the reputation of the Supreme Alliance. If it fails..."

"If that fails, Helian Ba ​​will definitely seek the help of allies, and Sword Forging City is the only option. However, your father will make the decision, so you don't need to worry. What you need to consider now is how to gain benefits when the two factions clash."

Gu Xu gave Jian Xiong a deep look. Jian Xiong, meeting Gu Xu's deep gaze, was startled, but then understood. He took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed respectfully to Gu Xu.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master. I understand now."

Although Jianxiong had not heard any information about the struggle for supremacy from his father, he could not hide his father's behavior and the changes in the city from the past few days. From the clues, Jianxiong had figured out that Sword Forging City was finally unwilling to be left out and wanted to compete with the Supreme Alliance for the highest position.

Gu Xu nodded upon hearing this. Seeing that the Daoist had no further instructions, Jian Xiong bowed again and turned to leave the courtyard. Just as she was about to return to the side hall, her confidant rushed up to her with a joyful expression, cupped his hands, and said, "Young City Lord, the Dragon Swords have brought Mr. Yao back and are waiting in the side hall."

Upon hearing this, Jianxiong's face lit up with joy. After a month, he had finally returned. He strode towards the side hall, and his confidant hurriedly followed.

As soon as the two entered the hall, the four swordsmen stepped forward to pay their respects. Jianxiong waved his hand, and the four stepped aside. They looked at an old man dressed in coarse cloth on the seat. Jianxiong immediately stepped forward and gave the man a junior's salute.

"Junior Jianxiong greets Senior Yao."

As soon as Jianxiong approached, he felt a faint medicinal fragrance lingering around the man. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the old man had a ruddy complexion and a prosperous appearance, but his eyes were dark and bright. When he saw Jianxiong, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"Young City Lord, there's no need for such formalities. This is my first time visiting Sword Forging City. It truly lives up to its reputation as a major sect of our time, with its magnificent presence."

Yao Yuansheng's actions have always been a mix of righteous and wicked, but he also knows how to seek advantage and avoid harm. Although he doesn't know why this sword heroine is disguised as a man, it's not something he should ask. After all, he came to Sword Casting City only for that incomplete pill formula.

"Young City Lord, I have always been straightforward. May I ask where you obtained this pill formula?"

Yao Yuansheng reached into his robes and took out the Heaven-Mending Pill formula written by Gu Xu, but it was missing several crucial medicinal herbs.

"To be honest, senior, this elixir formula was given to me by Daoist Gu Xu."

Jianxiong had already received instructions from Gu Xu that as soon as Yao Yuansheng arrived at Sword Casting City, he could tell him the truth without hiding anything.

Upon hearing this, Yao Yuansheng's expression turned serious, and he said with admiration, "Indeed, there are heavens beyond heavens and people beyond people. I thought that no one in the martial arts world could surpass me in the field of medicine, but when I saw this prescription, my pride was shattered."

At this point, Yao Yuansheng couldn't help but recall the scene from a month ago.

When the Dragon Sword Envoy and his companions found him in Medicine King Valley, he was refining a Spirit Refining Pill. At the crucial moment, even though the Dragon Sword Envoy and his companions invoked the name of Sword Forging City, he didn't even give them a glance. Especially when the Spirit Refining Pill failed in the final step, Yao Yuansheng's mood was extremely bad.

"Senior Yao, I sincerely invite you to go to Sword Forging City to refine a certain elixir. After the task is completed, you will be rewarded handsomely."

As soon as the Dragon Sword Envoy finished speaking, he saw Yao Yuansheng's cold and terrifying gaze. His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly retreated. Just after he left the spot, a black light stuck into the ground, and the originally green grass instantly turned into a pitch-black mass, turning into a handful of black ash in the blink of an eye, which then drifted away with the wind.

"Get out of here if you don't want to die!"

Yao Yuansheng roared angrily. Apart from the Dragon Sword Envoy, the others all looked grim. As prominent figures in Sword Forging City, when had they ever suffered such humiliation? Just as the Tiger Sword Envoy was about to teach them a lesson, the Dragon Sword Envoy reached out and pulled him aside, gesturing for the Tiger Sword Envoy and the others to step back. He then stepped forward alone and said to Yao Yuansheng, "Young City Lord knows that you enjoy collecting various pill formulas. Here is one. You may take a look before making a decision."

The Dragon Swordsman reached into his robes and took out an exquisite wooden box. After opening it, he took out a piece of paper with a few lines of writing on it and handed it over with both hands.

Seeing this, Yao Yuansheng snorted coldly. He didn't want to accept it, but after thinking about it, he took it anyway. This young man was neither humble nor arrogant, and he was also representing the Sword Casting City. His anger had subsided considerably. If he refused again, it would be to lose face for the Sword Casting City, which would not look good in the end.

He reached out and took it. Yao Yuansheng, who had initially been indifferent, glanced at it a few times, then his expression turned serious. He scanned it again carefully. Three quarters of an hour passed, and Yao Yuansheng still hadn't raised his head. After another moment, Yao Yuansheng finally looked up, glanced at the Dragon Sword Envoy, and said in a deep voice, "I need to pack my things. You all wait outside."

After speaking, Yao Yuansheng put the pill formula into his pocket, turned around and went into the bamboo hut. When Long Jianshi saw this, he smiled, turned around and gave a few instructions to the others. Everyone nodded and then walked out of the valley, leaving only Long Jianshi waiting outside.

Not long after, Yao Yuansheng emerged from the bamboo hut with a cloth bag slung across his shoulder. He first closed the door, then lit a stick of incense about the thickness of a thumb. The smoke was multicolored and quite beautiful. Even though the Dragon Sword Envoy was a little far away, he could still smell a sweet fragrance.

"Let's go."

Yao Yuansheng didn't explain much. He glanced at the Dragon Sword Envoy and strode out. The Dragon Sword Envoy hurriedly followed.

Yao Yuansheng glanced at the incomplete pill formula in his hand, then cupped his hands to Jian Xiong and said, "Young City Lord, may I ask to meet this Daoist Gu Xu?"

This incomplete prescription kept him awake at night and unable to eat. He had to find a way to complete it. However, despite his reputation for being an expert on all the herbs in the world, he still couldn't find a satisfactory one. If he couldn't complete it, he would go crazy.

"Of course, but you must be tired from your journey. Please wash up and have something to eat first. Tomorrow, I will take you to see the Daoist Master. What do you think?"

"well."

Yao Yuansheng had no objection. A month had already passed, so what difference would a day or two make? He was indeed a bit tired. Thinking about meeting Master Gu Xu tomorrow, he had a lot of questions and needed to conserve his energy so as not to embarrass himself in front of the master.

"Dragon Sword Envoy, take the senior to the Bamboo Garden to rest." Jian Xiong instructed the Dragon Sword Envoy beside him, who immediately agreed.

"Senior, please."

Yao Yuansheng nodded and left with Long Jianshi and the others. After Yao Yuansheng left, Jianxiong continued to handle mundane affairs in the hall. When the moon was high in the sky, Jianxiong suddenly sensed a vast aura flash by in the main hall.

"Father's Dragon Riding Slash is slowly advancing towards the ninth level. Once Father emerges from seclusion, Sword Forging City can officially join the battle for supremacy."

Gu Xu's gaze pierced through the obstruction, looking at the main hall where the Sword Master was in seclusion. The soaring sword energy that emanated from it was very conspicuous in Gu Xu's eyes. If the first eight levels were extremely strong and yang, then the ninth level was a combination of strength and gentleness. The sword's power was contained but not revealed, but once it was unsheathed, it would be a world-shattering force. Gu Xu thought to himself, "At this rate, I can successfully cultivate the ninth level in less than a year, but it will take at least three to five years to stabilize this state."

Thinking of this, Gu Xuxin felt a little more at ease. Now the Supreme Alliance's attention was on the Sea Shark Palace, and Guan Yutian wanted to target Sword Casting City, so he at least needed the Frost Sword to be forged. During this time, he could use it to complete other plans. "The news of Dreamy Limitless should have already reached Ru Shen's ears. Now is the time for it to appear in the world."

A flash of black and white light appeared on Gu Xu's body, and a cold-looking white-robed Taoist appeared in front of him. Gu Xu pointed a finger, and a ray of spiritual light landed on his brow. The white-robed Taoist nodded slightly, bowed to Gu Xu, and then disappeared in a flash. When he reappeared, he was already outside the Sword Forging City. After briefly determining the direction, the white-robed Taoist rushed off in the northeast direction.

Ping Le Village, within the territory of the Supreme Alliance

Yan Zangfeng was looking at his mother with a helpless expression, and then glanced at Bai Yu'er beside her with a scrutinizing look.

“Mother, Yu’er is a woman after all. We are an orphan and a widow. If we let Yu’er stay here, wouldn’t people gossip and ruin her reputation for nothing? I don’t agree.”

After Yan Zangfeng finished speaking, Yan's mother frowned. What her son said made some sense. He only cared about his own convenience but forgot about his daughter's reputation. She couldn't ruin Yu'er's future for her own selfish reasons.

“Aunt, I’d better find another place to live. But that way I won’t be able to visit you often. Brother Yan is often away from home, and you have no one to talk to, which makes me a little sad. But I know Brother Yan’s concerns, so I won’t force him. I’ll find another place to live.”

Seeing that Mother Yan's expression had softened slightly, Bai Yu'er stood up and spoke first. Her eyes were already glistening with tears as she turned to leave, but Mother Yan gently grabbed her right hand.

"Yu'er, you stay here. Just tell everyone you're my niece, and they won't say anything."

Upon hearing Bai Yu'er's words, Yan's mother immediately solidified her resolve and even came up with an excuse. Bai Yu'er was overjoyed, but looked at the indifferent Yan Zangfeng with slight worry and said softly, "Won't this disturb Aunt and Brother Yan? And what about Yiyi...?"

"Yu'er, don't worry. Zang Feng is a kind-hearted person and won't let you, his savior, be without a place to live. As for Yi Yi, your aunt will talk to her. Everything will be fine. Just stay here and relax."

Mother Yan gently patted Bai Yu'er's hand and glanced at Yan Zangfeng. Upon seeing this, the latter stood up and said to Mother Yan, "Mother, Yu'er can stay here, but I need to move out. There are not many days left before the imperial examination, and I want a peaceful environment. The bamboo house on the back mountain is quiet and secluded, which is a good place to study. I will move up the mountain tomorrow."

After saying this, Yan Zangfeng got up and walked out without waiting for his mother's reply. Before leaving, he gave Bai Yu'er a deep look, which startled her. By the time she came to her senses, Yan Zangfeng had already walked out of the courtyard.

“Yu’er, Cang Feng wasn’t like this before. He’s probably just irritable lately because he’s having trouble with his studies. Please bear with him.”

Mother Yan was also angry. She didn't know why Cang Feng had changed so much lately, and he no longer listened to her as his mother.

"It must have been Liu Yiyi who instigated it!"

As Yan's mother pondered this, her face turned quite grim. Bai Yu'er, standing beside her, considerately helped Yan's mother sit down and comforted her, saying, "I know that Brother Yan studies hard. It's true that the back mountain is secluded, but the food isn't very good. However, with Yiyi here, I'm sure Brother Yan won't be neglected. Aunt, you can rest assured. It's perfect that Yiyi takes care of Brother Yan, and I'll take care of you."

Bai Yu'er poured a cup of tea and handed it to Yan's mother. The latter was taken aback at first, then seemed to think of something, and finally looked at Bai Yu'er with a fixed gaze and a smile suddenly appeared on her face.

After leaving home, Yan Zangfeng walked up the mountain. Halfway up the mountain, an exquisite bamboo house came into his view. In front of the bamboo house, Liao Rushen, Liu Yiyi, and the Sai Huatuo couple were all there. When they saw Yan Zangfeng appear, Liu Yiyi was delighted and hurriedly went to greet him.

"Conceal your strength."

"Yiyi."

Yan Zangfeng held Liu Yiyi's hand, his eyes full of tenderness. After a while, Liao Rushen, who was standing nearby, finally couldn't stand it anymore and coughed lightly. Liu Yiyi blushed and let go of his hand. Yan Zangfeng chuckled, pulled Liu Yiyi forward, and after bowing, Yan Zangfeng said to Liao Rushen, "Uncle, you were right. This Bai Yu'er is indeed no ordinary person."

Yan Zangfeng was a martial artist after all, and with the guidance of Ru Shen for nearly two months, he easily saw through Bai Yu'er's disguise.

"This woman has an unusual background. Her approach to you must be for some purpose. You must be very careful. It would be best to find out who is behind this and see what they really want."

With a light wave of her divine fan, Liao Rushen gave Yan Zangfeng a few pointers, and the latter immediately understood. After thanking her, Yan Zangfeng was about to explain his plans when Liu Yiyi walked up to him and whispered, "Zangfeng, I have something to discuss with you."

"What is it?" Yan Zangfeng asked, puzzled.

“Master Sixin wants to take me as her disciple.”

"what!"

Yan Zangfeng exclaimed in surprise, his eyes filled with disbelief. It was no wonder that Yan Zangfeng looked like this. After all, Master Sixin was one of the four great masters in the martial arts world, and the Sixin Sect was a great sect with a long history, second only to Sword Casting City and Sea Shark Palace. Why would such a top-ranking figure take Yiyi as his disciple?

Seeing Yan Zangfeng's doubts, Liu Yiyi explained the whole story in detail. After listening, Yan Zangfeng's expression immediately turned serious, and he looked at Liu Yiyi and said, "Yiyi, this is a rare opportunity. If you can become a disciple of the abbess, your future achievements will be limitless. At that time, the two of us can also contribute to the common people."

Yan Zangfeng had no objection to Liu Yiyi joining the Death Heart Sect. This was an opportunity that others could only envy, and it would be extremely foolish not to seize it.

“Zang Feng, once Yi Yi enters the Gate of Death, it could be several months or even several years before you can see each other again. Can you bear the suffering during that time?”

Liao Rushen spoke in a deep voice, his gaze fixed on Yan Zangfeng. Upon hearing this, the latter neither dodged nor flinched, and replied firmly, "For the sake of the well-being of the people, personal feelings can be temporarily set aside!"

"Good, as expected of my second brother's son, you have ambition. In that case, let's speed up our cultivation and strive to raise our mental cultivation technique to the third level as soon as possible. Sai Huatuo, I have some business to attend to and need to travel far away in the near future. I'll entrust Cangfeng to you."

"Don't worry, I promise you'll be pleasantly surprised when you come back," Sai Huatuo patted his chest and promised.

"Yiyi, I'm giving you this. Open the pouch when you encounter a crisis."

Liao Rushen reached into his sleeve and took out a gorgeous brocade pouch, handing it to Liu Yiyi, who took it and nodded to Liao Rushen.

"Until we meet again, everyone."

Liao Rushen bowed to the crowd, turned and walked away. After noticing that the gazes behind him had disappeared, Liao Rushen quickened his pace. In less than half a cup of tea's time, he had reached a dense forest at the foot of the mountain. He mounted the horse prepared by his subordinates, cracked the whip, and headed towards Thunderclap Valley.

Meanwhile, on the ancient road of Jingzhou, a dashing and unrestrained young man was riding a donkey backwards, holding a gourd in his hand. He raised his hand upwards, and the wine slid down without splashing at all, all of it landing in the young man's mouth.

"Good wine!"

The young man wiped his mouth with his sleeve, laughed wildly a few times, patted the donkey's back, and the donkey was startled, its four hooves galloping forward. Although the road was uneven, the young man's figure was steady and there was no sign of bumping.

In Thunder Valley, in front of a wooden house, an old man dressed in coarse linen clothes was wielding a long whip. Every time he used it, it was as if wind and thunder were moving together, and the whip shadows were chaotic, making it impossible to see what was real and what was illusory. After the old man stopped wielding the whip, a huge rock in front of him shattered neatly into dozens of pieces with a crackling sound. A trace of lightning flashed on the edge of each piece, and it lasted for several breaths before dissipating.

This old man was Huangfu Changhen, and he used the famous "Thousand-Mile Thunder Whip" in the martial arts world. It is said that when it is mastered to the highest level, a single whip can be wielded with the help of wind and thunder, cutting off rivers and streams, and destroying mountains and uprooting peaks with ease.

(End of this chapter)