A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 380 Bait
Inside Juechan Temple, Yan Zangfeng stared in horror at the power of "Wind God's Wrath." He had witnessed his uncle Liao Rushen's moves before, but this one was far inferior.

"Zang Feng, did you see that clearly?"

Master Qu'e withdrew his palms and stood up, slowly calming his inner breath, then turned to look at Yan Zangfeng beside him.

“Master, I have seen it clearly now.” Yan Zangfeng stepped forward and nodded to Zen Master Qu’e.

"Well, now that you've seen it clearly, you'll spend the next period of time practicing this move in the temple. Once you've fully mastered it, I will teach you the remaining three moves in turn."

"Yes."

Seeing that the Zen master had no further instructions, Yan Zangfeng bowed again and turned to leave. Just after Yan Zangfeng left, Zen Master Qu Nian came out of the hall. He first looked in the direction Yan Zangfeng had left, then turned his gaze to his senior brother Qu E and said in a deep voice, "Senior brother, has things come to this point?"

"A storm is coming, and Juechan Temple will not be able to avoid it either. A few days ago, Guan Yutian sent his only disciple, Ren Qianxing, with a letter. Junior brother, please take a look."

Zen Master Qu'e took the letter from his sleeve and handed it to Zen Master Qu'nian. The latter straightened up, stepped forward, took the letter, and after reading it carefully, his face immediately became serious.

“Senior brother, Guan Yutian is trying to force our Juechan Temple to make a choice, but if I may be frank, neither the Supreme Alliance nor the Sea Shark Palace is a good choice. Putting aside the Supreme Alliance, the Sea Shark Palace Master Helian Ba ​​is a petty, selfish, and treacherous villain.”

Qu Nian paused here, glanced at Zen Master Qu E, and continued, "Before you entered the Buddhist order, Helian Ba ​​was very hostile towards you."

Upon hearing this, Zen Master Qu'e sighed and said, "Back then, because of Yan Zhongyang's death, I was so angry that I attacked the Sea Shark Palace all by myself, breaking through three gates and six palaces. I fought Helian Ba ​​for three days on the Broken Sky Bridge, and we were both seriously injured. This battle is considered the beginning of our feud."

"Now that Helian Ba ​​has integrated the Sea Shark Palace and mastered the Shadow Clone Technique and the Mind-Distracting Palm, his martial arts are unfathomable. If we were to face him again, the outcome would be uncertain."

Master Qu'e knew that he had devoted himself to studying Buddhism over the years, and his martial arts skills had deteriorated considerably. If he were to actually fight Helian Ba, he would undoubtedly lose unless he used the Heavenly Will Four Symbols Technique.

"Neither the Supreme Alliance nor the Sea Shark Palace are suitable choices. If that's the case, why don't you choose another one, Senior Brother? I've heard that the Sword Master of Sword Casting City has emerged from seclusion, and with his emergence, there's been a lot of news about Sword Casting City in the martial world lately. In my humble opinion, this Sword Master seems to be unwilling to be left out and wants to compete for the throne of the number one martial artist."

"Oh, is that so?" Upon hearing this, Master Qu'e's eyes lit up slightly. He didn't know much about Sword Forging City, only that it had gradually withdrawn from the martial arts world thirty years ago, supposedly to be working hard to forge an unparalleled divine sword. Now that Sword Forging City had reappeared in the martial arts world, did that mean that the divine sword had also been forged?

"My impression of the Sword Master is still from thirty years ago. He was arrogant and conceited. Even as the young city lord, he already had the air of a king. I wonder if his temperament has changed in the past thirty years."

Juechan Temple was isolated and located on the territory of the Supreme Alliance. Previously, Guan Yutian had disregarded them and let them roam freely. Now, in order to deal with Sword Casting City, he naturally had to use all his strength. Baili Qu'e was also a first-rate expert. With his addition, the Supreme Alliance would have more strength.

"This matter will be left to my junior brother to investigate. He should inform his senior brother as soon as he has any news."

Qu Nian also understands Qu E's intentions. If this Sword Master is someone worth pledging allegiance to, Jue Chan Temple will naturally make the choice that best serves its interests; otherwise...

Thinking of this, Qu Nian's heart sank. If Sword Casting City was not a good choice, then it would be better to join Guan Yutian, at least he would still be the number one person in the world.

"Go."

With a wave of his hand, Qu Nian bowed again and turned to leave, leaving Qu Nian gazing southeast at the white clouds floating in the sky, lost in thought.

Inside the Supreme Alliance, after reporting to his master, Ren Qianxing arrived at the main hall. Just as he was about to report the matter of Juechan Temple to his master, he glanced around and was surprised to find an unfamiliar young man carrying a bow and arrow beside his master. Ren Qianxing glanced at him briefly, then bowed to Guan Yutian, who was sitting at the head of the table.

"Master."

"Qianxing, was your journey smooth?"

"Everything went smoothly. Master Qu'e has received the letter from his master. Qianxing followed his master's instructions and left Juechan Temple immediately after delivering the letter."

Ren Qianxing then recounted everything he had observed in the temple in detail. When he mentioned the Refuge Hall, Guan Yutian's eyes flashed, and he sat up straight, saying to Ren Qianxing below, "You did a very good job. Go and rest now. I have another task for you to do."

Seeing that his master showed no sign of introducing the young man's background, Ren Qianxing remained calm, said "Yes," and turned to leave.

"So, what do you think of my disciple?"

Guan Yutian looked at Jian Yin beside him, who nodded and said expressionlessly, "Indeed, not bad. His future achievements may even surpass those of the Alliance Leader."

If Guan Yutian didn't know Jianyin's personality, he would have thought that Jianyin was deliberately trying to sow discord between him and Qianxing. After glancing at Jianyin, Guan Yutian got up and walked down the steps to the entrance of the hall. Looking at the unobstructed square and listening to the sounds of martial arts practice, a sense of pride welled up in his heart.

"Has there been no news from Sword Forging City yet?" Guan Yutian suddenly thought of the people from Eagle Fortress. Judging by the time, they should have made some moves by now. How come several days have passed and it's still quiet? And that Liao Rushen, he's not around when he needs him, but he always appears when he shouldn't.

"There's still no news, but it doesn't look too optimistic. This Sword Forging City is not like the Sea Shark Palace, and with that Daoist Gu Xu in charge, it's bound to stay in chaos."

In the past few days, Jian Yin had learned a lot about the deeds of Daoist Gu Xu from Guan Yutian, which made him interested in him. As the only remaining descendant of the Divine Arrow Clan, he was ordered by his clan to maintain peace in the martial world. This time, he happened to meet Ru Shen when he came out of the mountain, so he went with the flow and joined the Supreme Alliance.

"That's true, but I don't expect the people of Eagle Fortress to accomplish anything. I just hope they can cause some trouble."

Although Guan Yutian said this, what he was thinking was that the Sword Master's Dragon Riding Slash had already reached the ninth level, and the Mighty Dragon Palm alone was no longer enough to contend with it. Moreover, his own innate qi was still unable to enter the next level, which made Guan Yutian somewhat irritable.

Just then, a disciple rushed over. Upon seeing the Alliance Leader, he quickly took a few steps, bowed, and presented the secret report he had obtained from Eagle Fortress to Guan Yutian.

Upon seeing this, Guan Yutian reached out and took it. After opening and reading it, Guan Yutian's expression turned very ugly.

"waste!"

Guan Yutian roared angrily, "What kind of number one assassination organization is this? Not a single one of the fourteen people escaped. Instead, several of their corpses were thrown out."

"It seems that Eagle Fortress has also suffered considerable losses, and it will probably be unable to send any more people in the short term," Arrow Shadow said casually, glancing at the note on the ground.

"Hmph, let Sword Master be smug for a while. Once I, the Alliance Leader, have mastered my divine skills, all obstacles in my path will be cleared away one by one."

Meanwhile, inside the Sea Shark Palace, Helian Ba ​​slowly calmed his internal energy, opened his eyes, and sensed that his clone had advanced another level. He couldn't help but show a satisfied expression. "Congratulations, Master, on your great progress in martial arts!"

Seeing this, Lian Chixue, who was standing guard to the side, immediately offered her congratulations. He Lianba waved his hand and stood up, saying, "Although the Shadow Clone Technique is exquisite, it is not the best martial art. Guan Yutian's Dragon Palm, Sword Master's Dragon Riding Slash, and Master Sixin's Seven Absolute Zither are all equally impressive. Not to mention the legendary Heavenly Will Four Symbols Technique and Dreamlike Limitless Technique. If we can find these two skills, we will have a better chance of defeating Guan Yutian in the future."

Since taking the position of Palace Master of the Sea Shark Palace, Helian Ba ​​has secretly dispatched people to search for these two martial arts, but no news has come. Seeing that the Supreme Alliance's strength is growing day by day, Helian Ba ​​is also somewhat anxious. Now the Sea Shark Palace is almost driven to the brink of destruction. If no countermeasure is taken, it will probably be swallowed up by the Supreme Alliance in a short time. At that time, his position as Palace Master will be just a name.

"By the way, has there been any news from Yu'er?"

Helian Ba ​​then asked about Bai Yu'er. He had been busy with sect affairs lately and had neglected Bai Yu'er. Upon hearing this, Lian Chixue immediately said, "Junior Sister just sent news a few days ago. She has already found out that Yan Zangfeng is the son of Yan Zhongyang, the former chief protector of the Supreme Alliance. The Thousand Spirit Chess Manual does exist, but Yan's mother does not know its exact location."

"In addition, my junior sister also inadvertently discovered that Ru Shen had secretly sent Yan Zangfeng to Jue Chan Temple. Furthermore, Liu Yiyi from Shi Shen Ju has also joined the Si Xin Sect."

After sorting through the message sent by Bai Yu'er, Lian Chixue told Helian Ba ​​all the important things in it. After listening, the latter nodded immediately.

As he expected, Yan Zangfeng was indeed connected to the Thousand Spirit Chess Manual. He wondered why the old fox, Liao Rushen, would send Yan Zangfeng to Juechan Temple. He felt there was more to this than met the eye and immediately gave Lian Chixue some instructions, ordering people to thoroughly investigate the origins of Juechan Temple.

"Yes!"

"Has there been any unusual activity from the Supreme Alliance?"

“Since the Supreme Alliance seized the sixteen islands in the southeast, it has been very quiet. But in my opinion, this is because the Supreme Alliance is digesting what it has gained. Once it has finished digesting, it will come to our Sea Shark Island.” Lian Chixue said this with a solemn expression.

The Sixteen Islands in the Southeast are the first line of defense for Sea Shark Island. Now that they have been taken over by the Supreme Alliance, as long as they proceed steadily, they will eventually approach Sea Shark Palace.

“There are still turbulent rocks and whirlpools outside the Sea Shark Palace, and the Supreme Alliance cannot break through for the time being. The most urgent task now is to launch a counterattack. Even if we cannot severely damage the Supreme Alliance, we must let Guan Yutian know that my Sea Shark Palace is not without the power to fight back.”

Helian Ba ​​believed that his talent and aptitude were no less than Guan Yutian's, but in their previous encounters, he had won more than he had lost, which had seriously damaged his constitution. This made Helian Ba ​​feel somewhat embarrassed.

“Master, perhaps we can try to contact Sword Forging City. It would be much better for the two factions to join forces than for us to do it alone.”

"Oh, Sword Forging City has already closed its mountains for sword forging, so how can we contact them?"

"Master, you may not know this, but Sword Forging City has already re-emerged in the martial arts world."

Lian Chixue then told Helian Ba ​​everything about Sword Casting City. Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in the latter's eyes. This Sword Master was extremely arrogant, but his actions were quite intriguing. Either the divine sword was already complete, or he had a need to return to the martial world.

"According to previous inquiries, the mysterious Taoist priest eventually disappeared in Sword Forging City?"

"Yes."

"That's right. That Taoist priest is clearly not a peaceful person. The reappearance of Sword Forging City must be closely related to him. Otherwise, given the Sword Master's temperament, he would never have done this."

Helian Ba ​​thought about it more and more and felt that his guess was correct. With this in mind, he had made up his mind. If he could join forces with Sword Casting City to deal with the Supreme Alliance, the Sword Master would definitely not refuse.

"Chixue, take this letter written by me and secretly go to Sword Forging City. You must deliver this letter to the Sword Master. After you receive the Sword Master's reply, you can return."

"Disciple, obey."

"Go down and take care of what I asked you to do. Come back here tomorrow to collect the letter."

Lian Chixue said "yes," bowed again, and then turned and left the palace gate.

"Guan Yutian, the best is yet to come. It's still too early to tell who will emerge victorious."

Inside the Supreme Alliance, Ren Qianxing was full of energy after two days of rest. Just then, a disciple came to deliver a message, saying that his master wanted him to go to the main hall.

Upon arriving at the main hall, Ren Qianxing, unsurprisingly, saw the man carrying a bow and arrows again. He first bowed to Guan Yutian.

"Master."

"Well, Qianxing, today I will first introduce you to the Supreme Alliance's Chief Protector, Jianyin. Chief Protector, this is the White Tiger Hall's Director, Ren Qianxing, and also my only disciple."

"So it's the Chief Protector. Ren Qianxing greets you." Ren Qianxing was startled when he heard his master say that this person was the Chief Protector. This position was no small matter. Because of the great power involved, firstly, one's martial arts skills could not be lacking, and secondly, one had to be extremely loyal. One could not be competent if one did not meet either of these two requirements.

However, judging from his master's expression, it was clear that he had already tested him beforehand, and this time it was just a formality on his side.

"Greetings, Master Ren."

Jian Yin returned the greeting with a cupped hand, and then fell silent. From these words, Ren Qianxing could roughly estimate that he was a man of few words.

"Alright, now that we've met, we're family. Qianxing, please sit down."

Ren Qianxing said yes, walked to his seat and sat down. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Guan Yutian said to Ren Qianxing, "The Sea Shark Palace is no longer a threat, and Sima Tian has lost his usefulness. Before he dies, let him do one last thing for us."

"Please give your instructions, Master."

Upon hearing that his master was finally going to make a move against Sima Tian, ​​Ren Qianxing was eager to try, and the long sword in his hand was itching to drink the man's blood.

"This matter is simple in some ways and difficult in others. This time, I will use the Nine Dragon Stone as bait to lure Helian Ba ​​into the trap."

The Nine Dragon Stone is of immense benefit to him. If Helian Ba ​​learns that the Nine Dragon Stone has left the Supreme Alliance, he will surely rush to seize it at all costs. This would be an opportunity to completely annihilate the Sea Shark Palace. Although this plan looks very crude on the surface and can be seen as a trap by anyone with eyes, with such benefits at stake, it is hard to guarantee that Helian Ba ​​will not be tempted. As long as he is tempted, it will be considered a success.

(End of this chapter)