A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 368 The Power of the Divine Whip
Outside Thunder Valley, Xiaoyao Lang killed the Three Heroes of Lingnan with the Great Subduing Demon Fist, only to find himself poisoned. Looking at the ghastly green wound on his left arm, Xiaoyao Lang hurriedly sealed his acupoints to temporarily stop the spread of the poison. Just then, a sudden gust of evil wind swept in. As Xiaoyao Lang dodged, he did not forget to check and found a six-sided throwing dart, which was flashing with green light. Looking over, he saw that the person who fired the poisoned dart was a man wearing a white bone crown, a demon robe, with pale skin, sinister eyes, and holding a ghost claw.

"Boy, you do have some skill in killing the Three Heroes of Lingnan. However, you have been hit by the Yellow Springs Step. Before long, you will turn into a pool of pus and blood. Now, kneel down and beg for mercy, and I may take pity on you and spare your life."

Although Bai Yanluo was surprised that Xiaoyao Lang had killed the Three Heroes of Lingnan and was wary of that powerful fist technique, his side had a large number of people and many experts, so there was no need to be afraid. However, these people still needed to deal with Huangfu Changhen, so it was best not to lose them if possible.

"Bullshit! I can tell you're no good just by looking at you. Let's settle our old scores and new grudges together. With me, Xiaoyao Lang, here, if you want to get past me, you'll have to see how much you can afford to lose."

As soon as Xiaoyao Lang finished speaking, his internal energy suddenly stagnated, and he felt dizzy and lightheaded. He shook his head and could only see blurry figures in front of him, which seemed unreal.

"Even when death is imminent, you still dare to be stubborn."

Bai Yanluo looked at Xiaoyao Lang, whose body was gradually becoming unsteady, and snorted coldly. However, his eyes scanned the surroundings, and after finding no unusual activity, Bai Yanluo was slightly disappointed.

"Since Huangfu Changhen hasn't come out, let's kill this brat first."

Thinking of this, Bai Yanluo's eyes sharpened, and he shot out two more hexagonal poison darts, which flew through the air and arrived at Xiaoyaolang's face in the blink of an eye. Xiaoyaolang had already been invaded by the poison and could not exert any strength. He could only watch helplessly as the poison darts came.

"Master, if you don't come out soon, I'm really going to lose my life."

As Xiaoyao Lang cried out in his heart, a willow branch suddenly appeared, vibrated in mid-air, and curled back, firmly locking the two poisoned darts in place. Bai Yanluo was startled upon seeing this and shouted, "Who goes there!"

The people of Cangying Fort looked in the direction the willow branches were curling backward, and saw an old man standing on an ancient tree. He was playing with the two poisoned darts in his hands. Huangfu Changhen weighed them in his hand, a cold smile on his face. He looked at Bai Yanluo, who was in the lead, and said in a chilling tone, "These White Bone Heart-Snatching Darts are forbidden weapons of the Tianji Sect. They are incredibly powerful. He himself did not want to come and die, but he made you take the blame for him. You are indeed a bunch of good dogs!"

Upon seeing Huangfu Changhen appear, Xiaoyao Lang exclaimed in surprise, but before he could speak, Huangfu Changhen flicked a willow branch in his hand, tied it around Xiaoyao Lang's waist, and pulled him far into the woods.

After sending Xiaoyao Lang away, Huangfu Changhen threw away the willow branch in his hand, and with a clench of his fist, the two poisoned darts were instantly shattered by his true energy. Iron filings fell through his fingers, causing most of the people in Cangying Fortress to change color. However, Bai Yanluo glanced at him and then cupped his hands to Huangfu Changhen, saying, "You must be Mr. Huangfu. I am Bai Yanluo, currently the second-in-command of Cangying Fortress. I have heard that Mr. Huangfu possesses the Dreamlike Limitless Heart Sutra, which is a treasure of our Tianji Sect. Please return it to us. Cangying Fortress will be eternally grateful."

After Bai Yanluo finished speaking, even Huangfu Changhen, a seasoned martial artist, was momentarily stunned. He never expected that there could be such a shameless person in the world. However, when he thought about how Cangying Fortress was created by Liao Rushen, he realized that birds of a feather flock together. Huangfu Changhen knew he couldn't follow the other party's lead. He immediately moved and jumped down from the treetop. He walked slowly with his hands behind his back and stopped in front of the Cangying Fortress members. He stood with his hands behind his back and said arrogantly, "You want the Dreamlike Limitless Realm? Fine, you'll have to defeat me first. Who wants to go first?"

Bai Yanluo was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then his eyes turned cold. This Huangfu Changhen was indeed unpredictable. But that was fine too. Why argue with words when force could solve the problem? He had brought most of the elite troops of Cangying Fortress with him this time. He didn't believe that Huangfu Changhen could deal with all of them by himself. After Huangfu Changhen's true energy was exhausted, he would not only take away the Dreamless Limitless, but also transform Huangfu Changhen into a ruthless killing machine.

"If such a master could master the art of making a puppet, it would surely be a perfect creation."

Bai Yanluo gave a wink to the people around him, and then, under Huangfu Changhen's disdainful gaze, four people dressed in strange clothes dismounted from their horses and walked up, each carrying a strange weapon. Huangfu Changhen merely glanced at them and said indifferently, "Let's do it."

Upon hearing this, Bai Yanluo ordered the four men to attack. Four beams of cold light shot towards Huangfu Changhen simultaneously. Upon closer inspection, he saw four three-fingered ghost claws. He dodged to the side, and the claws missed their mark. The four men's figures intertwined, their ropes trembling. The ghost claws changed direction, swirling and forming semicircles as they attacked Huangfu Changhen. Huangfu Changhen remained unmoved. Just as the ghost claws and ropes were about to strike, he leaped into the air, directly overcoming them. A black light flashed in his right hand, and his long whip lashed out, creating a thunderous explosion that momentarily stunned the four men. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Huangfu Changhen stood still, his wrist flicking, and wielded the whip into a series of rings, enveloping the four men.

These four are the Four Fiends of Eagle Fortress. Their martial arts skills are only average within the fortress, but the Three Yin Ghost Claws they practice together are extremely powerful. They were created by Liao Rushen after years of research, integrating the strengths of various whips and ropes. Since mastering this skill, the four of them have always been invincible against those who use long whips and hooks.

Seeing Huangfu Changhen wield his long whip, the Four Fiends wore sinister smiles on their pale faces. They each withdrew their ghostly claws, stood in a row, and, watching the whip being brought before them, shouted in unison. With a whoosh, their ghostly claws flew out, passing through the whip's loops one after another. Three of the claws bit into Huangfu Changhen's whip, while the last one attacked Huangfu Changhen's chest directly. At the same time, three sword lights attacked from the direction of Cangying Fortress, aiming to strike Huangfu Changhen's three vital points: "Shenque," "Shuyuan," and "Shanzhong." Although the sword lights were still far away, Huangfu Changhen could clearly feel the chilling aura emanating from them.

Sensing the approaching danger, Huangfu Changhen flicked his wrist, attempting to pull the whip from the ghost claws. However, the Three Fiends held the whip firmly in place with their ghost claws. Just as the other ghost claw was about to strike Huangfu Changhen, the Four Fiends suddenly lost sight of him. The ghost claw missed its target, and the three sword lights, having failed to hit their targets, also dissipated. A tall, thin middle-aged man in blue robes frowned as he watched Huangfu Changhen approach the Four Fiends, and then slashed horizontally with his sword.

Huangfu Changhen dodged the killing move with his Cloud Steps, then stepped forward. Taking advantage of the Four Fiends' momentary lapse in concentration, he flicked his wrists to shake off the four ghostly claws. Not content with that, Huangfu Changhen knew that the enemy outnumbered him and that he had to finish the fight quickly. He flashed again and raised his palm to strike one of the Four Fiends.

The four fiends reacted swiftly. As Huangfu Changhen lunged forward and shook off his ghost claws, they were all on high alert. Sensing Huangfu Changhen's movements, the four immediately formed a one-three formation to fight him. With the help of the three fiends, the leader clenched his right ghost claw and struck out with force against Huangfu Changhen.

Seeing this, Huangfu Changhen showed disdain. He swung his palm down, and the ghost claw was blown away. The force of the palm strike did not diminish and landed squarely on the chest of the leader. With a scream, the man who was struck by the palm collapsed in his chest and died instantly. The other three were caught off guard and were also impacted by the residual force. Their bodies swayed slightly, but before they could regain their footing, a sharp sword light shot out from behind. Another person was unable to react in time and was cut in half at the waist. Blood splattered all over the ground, and the scene was extremely bloody.

Having landed a successful blow, Huangfu Changhen pressed his advantage relentlessly. With a flick of his whip, the remaining two men were instantly caught and pulled toward him. Suddenly, a sword aura struck the whip precisely, and a chilling true energy surged along the whip toward Huangfu Changhen. He smiled slightly, flicked his wrist, and his abundant true energy expelled the strange force. The whip straightened, dispersing the sword aura. With a retraction of the whip, the remaining two men were unable to stop their forward momentum. Just as they were about to perish, a pale, ghostly claw flew toward Huangfu Changhen's face. The chilling aura caused Huangfu Changhen's expression to change slightly. This ghostly claw must have drunk countless amounts of blood to possess such ferocity.

Huangfu Changhen dodged, but was caught off guard by a sword light from the right that pierced his ribs. The sharp sword energy was aimed at his eyebrows and eyes. Huangfu Changhen suddenly made a move, and the golden whip hidden in his left hand was instantly thrown out, passing through the chests of the remaining two demons. Then, he swung both whips at the same time, carrying the two corpses towards Bai Yanluo. He used the force to jump into the air and in the blink of an eye, he had already forced back the ghost claw and the sword light.

"not good!"

Bai Yanluo's expression changed drastically when Huangfu Changhen unleashed another long whip. Before Huangfu Changhen could warn him, two corpses flew towards him. Bai Yanluo's ghost claw was too late to retract, so he leaped into the air and unleashed a Yin Wind Palm. The two corpses were no match for the fierce palm energy and were instantly shattered into a shower of blood and flesh.

After smashing the corpse, Bai Yanluo pulled with his right hand, retracting the ghost claw with a rope. He moved swiftly, wielding the ghost claw, and attacked Huangfu Changhen. With Bai Yanluo's movement, the remaining members of Cangying Fortress followed suit.

Meanwhile, Huangfu Changhen was caught off guard by the tall, thin swordsman who seized the opportunity to attack Bai Yanluo and pressed forward. As a result, Huangfu Changhen lost the advantage of his long whip and was forced into a somewhat disheveled state by the tall, thin swordsman. However, after exchanging a few blows with his opponent, Huangfu Changhen gradually adapted to his opponent. He glanced at the Cangying Fortress members who were attacking him, and Huangfu Changhen's heart stirred. He released his long whip again, and the swordsman's eyes flashed with a sharp light. The swordsman let out a deep shout and transformed into lightning, striking Huangfu Changhen's brow. Wherever the sword light passed, frost condensed and the air was icy cold.

The tall, thin swordsman practiced the infamous "Netherworld Sword Technique," a heretical art that relied on killing to nourish the sword. The more masters who died under its blade, the greater its power became. Since the tall, thin swordsman began practicing this technique, many renowned figures in the martial arts world had perished in it.

Although this sword technique becomes increasingly ruthless and cold-blooded as one progresses through its practice, even a top-tier expert will perish instantly if struck by it.

Huangfu Changhen already knew that when he used the Thousand-Mile Thunder Whip, the swordsman would definitely seize the opportunity. But wasn't this also his opportunity? The swordsman's sword moves were continuous, and he couldn't get away. Now, although this move was powerful, it gave him a chance to escape. Once he could create distance between them, he would have an absolute advantage.

With a sweep of the long whip, all but a few members of the Eagle Fortress were directly hit. After a few screams, they were all seriously injured and fell to the ground. Seeing this, Bai Yanluo's eyes flashed with a fierce light. With a wave of his hand, the remaining three people each took up their weapons and rushed forward, taking advantage of the moment before the long whip was retracted, and charged towards Huangfu Changhen.

At the same time, Huangfu Changhen slightly shifted his body, and the Netherworld Sword Light grazed his clothes, leaving a small gash. Before the blood could flow, it was frozen. Huangfu Changhen instantly felt a chill in his body, and immediately circulated his true energy to quickly envelop the Netherworld Sword Light, preventing it from dissipating within his body.

"This Netherworld Sword Technique is indeed quite ingenious. Liao Rushen is targeting me at every turn. If I hadn't cultivated the Qi Transformation Technique, this sword strike would have at least reduced my combat strength by more than half."

Huangfu Changhen suppressed the Netherworld Sword Qi, and with a flick of his wrists, two long whips lashed back, striking the three attackers from behind. At that moment, Bai Yanluo swung out his ghost claws, grabbing and pulling back the two whips tightly. Huangfu Changhen's expression remained unchanged. His true energy surged, and with a flick of his wrists, the whips broke free from the ghost claws and lashed back even faster, closing in on the three attackers' backs in the blink of an eye.

The three were no pushovers either. They had already noticed the whooshing sound coming from behind. One of them, an old man with a staff, nodded to the other two, then turned and stood still. He held his iron staff horizontally with both hands, looked at the two long whips rushing towards him, gathered his strength in both hands, and pushed forward suddenly. The iron staff spun like a wheel, weaving into a ball of black light. The long whips struck it and were instantly deflected. However, each time it blocked, the black light would dim a little. The three weapons clashed several times in just a few breaths. The iron staff was already somewhat overwhelmed, and the old man with the staff was forced to retreat repeatedly, his face pale, leaving a deep pit in the ground.

Huangfu Changhen saw that the old man had temporarily blocked the long whip with his iron staff skills, and he couldn't help but snort coldly. Although the Mountain-Pushing Staff was good for defense, even if one had mastered it, it would not be a match for the Thousand-Mile Whip Thunder. If he hadn't had to save his strength to deal with the absent Liao Rushen, this whip would have surely shattered him to pieces.

Just as Huangfu Changhen's double whips were blocked, the tall, thin swordsman and two other skilled fighters wielding unusual weapons attacked from behind and in front. At the same time, Bai Yanluo also split into two, his ghost claws tearing through the air, intending to combine the strength of the group to kill Huangfu Changhen on the spot.

However, under the combined attack of the four, Huangfu Changhen remained calm. Bai Yanluo was uneasy upon seeing this, but he could not stop now, and he did not believe that Huangfu Changhen had any other tricks up his sleeve.

The Netherworld Sword Technique, the Formless Heavenly Ring, the Skyward-Facing Crutch, and the Deadly Ghost Claw—four deadly moves—arrived simultaneously, their chilling killing intent reverberating through the void. Just as they were about to strike Huangfu Changhen's body, a soft light suddenly appeared from his body. The four deadly moves, which had struck above, suddenly slid to the side and crashed to the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust. Huangfu Changhen seized the opportunity, using his whip to instantly shatter the iron staff's defense. He then swept back with the old man's corpse, like a string of candied hawthorns, directly piercing the hearts of the two skilled men wielding the copper ring and crutches. The White Yama and the tall, thin swordsman outside the hall were horrified.

"you!"

Bai Yanluo was filled with shock and anger. Looking around, he saw that of the thirty-seven people he had brought, the Three Heroes of Lingnan and the Four Fiends had all died. Now, with the addition of Jinguai Xian, Tonghuan Xian, and Tiezhang Xian, only the Netherworld Swordsman Lian Zhen remained as the only expert he had brought. The rest of them were all seriously injured, and it was unknown how many would survive. This time, Cangying Fortress had suffered a heavy loss.

"Eagle Fortress has never suffered such a crushing defeat since its founding. Second Master, you need to come up with a plan as soon as possible, otherwise we won't be able to explain ourselves when the First Master arrives."

Lian Zhen stared at Huangfu Changhen with a solemn expression. Even now, he still didn't know how Huangfu Changhen had managed to block their killing move. If they couldn't break through this move, their efforts would be in vain.

"The radiance emanating from Huangfu Changhen's body is quite similar to the 'Avoiding Calamity Aura' of the Tianji Sect. This move is said to have been lost. I wonder how Huangfu Changhen cultivated it."

The Heavenly Mystery Sect's Averting Calamity Aura is an extremely special defensive technique. It can only be used for passive defense, and once it is used, half of one's true energy will be lost. If used when one's true energy is insufficient, it will reduce one's life essence. Once this light is released, it can avoid most offensive attacks. It can be said to be a very powerful martial art. However, this skill was lost more than a hundred years ago. Where did Huangfu Changhen learn it from?

"That wasn't a calamity-avoiding aura, but rather a life-saving technique bestowed upon me by a master."

As Bai Yanluo and Lian Zhen were on guard, a deep voice suddenly entered their ears. Upon hearing this voice, their faces lit up with joy, but their hearts tightened immediately. Looking in the direction of the voice, they saw a graceful figure drifting over. This person was dressed in coarse cloth clothes, holding a feather fan, and walked slowly. He stopped in front of them, looking carefree. It was none other than Liao Rushen, the leader of Cangying Fortress.

"Junior brother, it's been a long time. How have you been?" Liao Rushen ignored Bai Yanluo and Lian Zhen and gave a slight bow to Huangfu Changhen opposite him.

When Huangfu saw Ru Shen appear, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Hearing Ru Shen's greeting, Huangfu Changhen said in a deep voice, "You have long been expelled from the sect by our master. You are no longer a disciple of the Tianji Sect. So, don't mention the title of junior brother anymore. Ru Shen, now that you have arrived, I will hold you accountable!"

After speaking, Huangfu Changhen flicked his long whip, and a thunderous sound rang out, accompanied by wind and thunder. A powerful pressure emanated from him, directly approaching Rushen. The sound of the whip immediately shocked everyone present. Bai Yanluo and Lian Zhen exchanged a glance, each seeing shock in the other's eyes. Huangfu Changhen had not used his true strength when fighting them. If he had used this strength from the very beginning, they would not have been able to last this long.

"Very well, since you don't want to acknowledge me as your senior brother, then there's nothing more to say. I'm definitely taking the Dreamlike Limitless. If you know what's good for you, hand it over, and I might spare your life. Otherwise, Thunder Valley will surely be utterly destroyed!"

(End of this chapter)