A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 385 Alliance
Sword Forging City, Soaring Heaven Palace

As Lian Chixue followed Jian Xiong into the hall, she immediately felt a sharp force filling the surroundings, which made her shudder. Startled, she hurriedly circulated her true energy, and after several breaths, she was able to barely suppress the discomfort.

"Please, messenger."

Jianxiong gestured, and Lian Chixue, slightly out of breath, thanked Jianxiong and stepped into the hall. The Chongxiao Hall was vast, and after walking for a while, Lian Chixue finally saw a high platform on which sat a dignified and imposing middle-aged man. Just looking at him made her eyes feel as if they were being pricked by needles, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"Lian Chixue of the Sea Shark Palace greets the Sword Master."

Lian Chixue dared not look any longer, and hurriedly turned her head to give a respectful bow to the Sword Master at the head of the table.

"The envoy has come from afar and must be tired from his journey. Please sit down and let's talk."

Sword Master nodded slightly. Although the envoy didn't seem to be very skilled in martial arts, he was, after all, representing Helian Ba, so he had to give him some face. Lian Chixue immediately thanked him and sat down on the wooden chair.

"Lord of the City, I have come here on the orders of my master to deliver a letter. Please take a look." Before leaving, Lian Chixue had been told by her master that after arriving in Sword Forging City, she should not hesitate and should get straight to the point.

As she spoke, Lian Chixue took out a letter sealed with wax from her package. Jianxiong saw this and walked over, took the letter in his hand, went up the steps, and handed it to Jianzun. After taking it, Jianzun saw that there was no problem with the wax seal and immediately opened and read it. After a while, Jianzun put down the letter in his hand, his face showing nothing.

"The envoy has come a long way and must be tired. Please rest for a while. In the next few days, Xiong'er will take the envoy on a tour of the city."

After the Sword Master finished speaking, he gave a few instructions to the Sword Hero. Lian Chixue felt relieved upon seeing this. Since the Sword Master did not reply in person, it meant that there was still room for negotiation. In any case, she had already completed her mission. As for whether her master's alliance plan could succeed, it depended on the Sword Master's decision.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, young city lord."

Lian Chixue chuckled at Jian Xiong, who nodded slightly in response. Seeing that the city lord had no further instructions, Jian Xiong bowed again and led Lian Chixue away from Chongxiao Palace.

Just after Jian Xiong and the other two left, Jian Zun read the letter one last time, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. He then put the letter away, turned around and left the main hall, heading towards Gu Xu's residence.

"Does the City Lord intend to join forces with Helian Ba ​​to resist the Supreme Alliance?" Gu Xu put down the letter, looked at the Sword Master, and asked in a calm tone.

"I do have this plan. The Sea Shark Palace has suffered a great loss of strength. If it weren't for the natural defenses, it would probably have been swallowed up by the Supreme Alliance by now. If Sword Forging City can lend a hand at this time, the combined strength of the two factions would be enough to challenge the Supreme Alliance."

"City Lord, you should think this through carefully. Although the Sea Shark Palace has suffered heavy damage, it still has its strength. Helian Ba ​​has always been treacherous and cunning, and he has done many things that are inconsistent with his word. If Helian Ba ​​openly allies with the Sword Casting City, but secretly allies with Guan Yutian, and then turns against the Supreme Alliance when the two factions deal with it, that would be very bad."

After Gu Xu finished speaking, the Sword Master's expression remained unchanged. He had already considered this situation. After pondering for a while, the Sword Master said confidently, "What the Daoist said makes a lot of sense. However, I am not entirely unprepared. The Sea Shark Palace lost the sixteen islands in the southeast, and my Sword Casting City will help them take them back. However, this cannot be done by my own efforts alone."

Gu Xu's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this. He chuckled and looked at the Sword Master, saying, "So the City Lord had this plan. With this open scheme, Helian Ba ​​can only stand on the opposite side of the Supreme Alliance."

"Daoist Master's eyes are discerning; you can't hide anything from him after all." Upon hearing Gu Xu's words, Sword Master immediately knew that Daoist Master had seen through his scheme.

It turns out that the Sword Master was planning to reclaim the sixteen islands in the southeast with Helian Ba. If they succeeded, all the better. Even if they failed, firstly, it would let the Supreme Alliance know that Sword Casting City and Sea Shark Palace were on the same side, planting a thorn in their side. Secondly, it would test whether Sea Shark Palace still had any hidden strength.

If Helian Ba ​​sees any hope of reclaiming the Sixteen Islands, he will certainly not allow the Supreme Alliance to guard his doorstep. In that case, even if he knows the plans of Sword Casting City, he has no choice but to do so. Otherwise, once the Supreme Alliance manages the Sixteen Islands smoothly, the next target will be the Sea Shark Palace.

"Daoist, this alliance is a minor matter, and it's just icing on the cake for Sword Forging City. My only concern now is Guan Yutian. His Dragon Palm is already extremely difficult to deal with. If he were to master the Innate Qi, I'm afraid even my Dragon Riding Slash and Helian Ba's Distraction Palm wouldn't be enough to defeat him."

Sword Master had never seen Innate Qi, but it was rumored that this skill was powerful enough to rank among the top three martial arts techniques, combining offense and defense. Although his own Dragon Riding Slash was unparalleled in sharpness, it was not certain that he could break through it.

"In terms of overall strength, the Innate Qi is enough to rank first, but everything has its counter. Although the Innate Qi is strong, the Heartless Realm of the Seven Absolute Zither is its nemesis. Didn't the City Lord send a letter to Abbess Heartbreak a month ago? I wonder if there has been a reply?"

Upon hearing this, the Sword Master's expression darkened. He shook his head and sighed, "I received a reply from Abbess Sixin a few days ago. In the letter, she said that she herself would never be able to reach the state of ruthlessness in her life. Therefore, she poured all her heart and soul into her disciple Liu Yiyi. However, this disciple has only been following the abbess in her cultivation for half a year and has not experienced any setbacks. How could she possibly understand the move of ruthlessness?"

After receiving Master Sixin's reply, Sword Master had Liu Yiyi's information collected. After sorting it out, he discovered that this woman was actually the female Food God of the Food God's Abode. This made Sword Master slightly concerned. Upon further investigation, he found that she was related to the Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust, Liao Rushen, Yan Cangfeng, and Ren Qianxing. He couldn't help but frown slightly. This woman's interpersonal relationships were too complicated, and she was also Yan Cangfeng's childhood sweetheart. These many trivial matters might affect her cultivation of the Seven Absolutes Zither.

Although Master Sixin wrote in his letter that Liu Yiyi had already reached the Absolute Thought Realm after only half a year of practicing the Seven Absolute Zither, in the eyes of the Sword Venerable, it was still insufficient.

“City Lord, don’t be too pessimistic. Since Abbess Sixin has high hopes for Liu Yiyi, it means that this girl must have something special. In any case, it will take another year to master the Ling Shuang Sword. If Liu Yiyi cannot master the Heartless Move within this year, then I will take care of Guan Yutian.”

"In the end, it was still the Taoist priest who had to take action, which makes me feel ashamed."

Sword Master was actually unwilling to let Gu Xu get involved in the martial arts conflict. Firstly, the Taoist priest was a person of transcendence and detachment, and the mortal world was filthy to him. It would be a sin for him to let such a celestial being take action. Secondly, Sword Master also knew the principle that human relationships become thinner with use. He hoped that in the future, the Taoist priest could guide Xiong'er and help Xiong'er take control of Sword Forging City after his death.

However, the Frost Sword is of utmost importance and must not be compromised. Now that things have come to this, we can only follow the Taoist priest's idea.

"This time, I am also restless and eager to move. I have already seen the Dreamlike Limitless Realm, but it is nothing special. I only hope that Guan Yutian's innate Qi can give me something different."

In Juechan Temple, Qu Nian looked at Qu E with a worried expression, withdrew his right hand from probing the pulse, and said in a heavy tone, "Senior brother, your injury has worsened again. You must not use your true qi within three months, otherwise it will truly be beyond the help of medicine."

Qu Nian's body already contained hidden dangers left by the Distraction Palm Force and the Heavenly Will Four Symbols Technique. If he were properly cared for, he could recover 70-80% within a month. However, because of that masked man, the recovery time has been prolonged, and Qu Nian's heart sank.

"Everything is preordained, junior brother. Did you discern the origins of that masked man?"

Master Qu'e seemed unconcerned about himself and instead inquired about the masked man's identity. Upon hearing this, Master Qu'nian's expression immediately turned solemn. He glanced at Qu'e and said in a deep voice, "That person is definitely closely related to the destroyed Tianji Sect. The Soul-Seizing Sword Technique and the Thirteen Forms of the Dome are not something that can be learned by anyone but a direct disciple. Senior brother, the Tianji Sect was destroyed sixty years ago, and most of its disciples have perished. Is there still a successor in the world?"

The reason for the destruction of the Tianji Sect was something Qu Nian had only gleaned from fragments of ancient texts. The rumor was that the Tianji Sect had recklessly manipulated the workings of fate, attempting to calculate the entire world, which angered the heavens. Heaven sent down lightning and thunder, wiping out the number one sect in the land. "I don't know either, but the Tianji Sect was skilled in divination and always left themselves an escape route. It's plausible that some members of the sect survived. But why did this person come to Juechan Temple?"

Qu E was also completely baffled. Logically speaking, Jue Chan Temple and Tianji Sect had no dealings. This person's sudden attack was truly inexplicable. Upon hearing this, Zen Master Qu Nian pondered for a long time and tentatively asked, "Could it be for the Heavenly Will Four Symbols Technique?"

“That’s possible.” Master Qu’e’s heart sank. Helian Ba ​​was already extremely difficult to deal with. If a mysterious and unpredictable successor of the Tianji Sect were added to the mix, it would be a double blow to Juechan Temple.

“Junior brother, you must guard the temple for the next half month. Even if it costs you your life, you cannot let the Heavenly Will Four Symbols Technique fall into the hands of those with ill intentions. If it really comes to an irreversible point, junior brother, you must not hesitate and immediately take Cangfeng to Sword Casting City.”

Qu E was now prepared to die, for he considered his own life insignificant, but he could not betray the trust of his deceased friend.

"Yes, senior brother."

Qu Nian's expression hardened, and he bowed solemnly.

Qu'e closed his eyes and sat silently in front of the Buddha statue. Seeing this, Qu Nian quietly left the refuge hall and then summoned the guardian Vajras, who were paired up to guard the various entrances.

After giving his instructions, Qu Nian returned to the meditation room. Halfway there, a chilling aura suddenly swept over him. Qu Nian quickly dodged to the side, and a whistling sound pierced the air as his attack missed its target. With a clang, a dart stuck into the bluestone slab.

Before Qu Nian could shout, Helian Ba, hidden in the shadows, swayed and struck Qu Nian's shoulder with a palm strike, causing the latter to stagger. Qu Nian groaned, and before he could regain his balance, he swung his nine-ringed staff at the attacker. However, the attack missed its mark, and his already unsteady body tilted to the side. Seeing this, Qu Nian turned his staff around and braced it against the ground, trying to support himself.

Just then, a tiny flying needle silently pierced into Nian's neck. His eyes dimmed, and he collapsed to the ground. Just as the staff was about to fall to the ground, it was caught by Helian Ba.

"Hurry up and make your move, or things will go wrong once he wakes up," Helian Ba ​​said to the masked man.

"Palace Master Helian, rest assured, once you've been struck by my Sleeping Needle, you won't wake up for at least three hours." The masked man removed his mask, revealing himself to be Liao Rushen.

Although Liao Ru said so, his hands were not slow. He recited the mantra and walked lightly toward the meditation room. After Helian Ba ​​looked around and found nothing unusual, he took his staff and followed him into the meditation room.

The candlelight flickered in the meditation room, and shadows moved about. After a moment, Liao Rushen slowly withdrew his hand, and his scarlet eyes returned to their original state.

Exhaling a breath of stale air, Liao Rushen looked at Helian Ba, panting, and said in a deep voice, "I have already used the Soul-Stealing Technique to invade this person's mind, and there will be no mistakes within a month."

"That's good. This Qu Nian is Junior Brother Qu E, who knows many secrets. If we can easily take Qu E's life, that would be even better. When you invaded his mind just now, did you find any information about the Heavenly Will Four Symbols Technique?"

"No, but the Heavenly Will Four Symbols Technique has been hidden somewhere by the evil spirits, but the specific location is not mentioned in the mind's consciousness."

Helian Ba ​​frowned slightly upon hearing this, then relaxed. This "Four Symbols of Heavenly Will" technique was so precious, no wonder Qu E was so cautious. It was good, since Qu E was already under their control, and it might be useful at a crucial moment.

"Now that our objective has been achieved, let's not linger any longer, let's retreat!"

Helian Ba ​​gave Liao Rushen a wink, and the two exchanged a glance. After cleaning up the traces, they extinguished the candles, closed the door, and left the temple silently. From beginning to end, none of the temple guards noticed.

At this moment, Yan Zangfeng was cultivating the Wind God's Wrath on the back mountain. He had just comprehended the Wind God's mark on the wooden box and gained some insights, which resolved many of his doubts. So, he verified his understanding one by one, and sure enough, his cultivation became twice as effective with half the effort. Moreover, after finishing the cultivation, he felt completely refreshed, and his internal energy was also very active.

"Let's take this opportunity to see if we can cultivate the Wind God's Wrath into a Dharma Form."

Yan Zangfeng stood firmly on his feet, clasped his hands together, and leaned forward. He shouted loudly and immediately felt his true energy surge out. A tearing force made Yan Zangfeng very painful. However, what he did not see was that a wind god image slowly emerged behind him. The air flow was violent and the wind force swept across. Although the face was blurry, it was several feet tall, much larger than the ten-foot-tall wind god image of Qu E.

"puff."

Yan Zangfeng ultimately couldn't withstand the tearing force. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and as his true energy dissipated, his Wind God appearance vanished instantly. If it weren't for the broken grass and trees around him, it would seem that everything that had just happened was an illusion.

"It seems it's still a bit of a stretch."

Yan Zangfeng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, then sat down on the grass. He circulated the Wuji Heart Sutra to repair his damaged meridians. After half an hour, Yan Zangfeng opened his eyes, stood up, and looked at the bright moon in the sky, feeling somewhat heavy-hearted.

"The Four Symbols of Heavenly Will adheres to the way of nature. Only by conforming to nature can one cultivate better. Wind is subordinate to wood. Wood is the source of life, which is endless and reflects the essence of wind."

Yan Zangfeng's eyes lit up as he understood the point, and he immediately sat down to contemplate it.

In Sword Forging City, Lian Chixue, accompanied by Jian Xiong, toured most of the city's sights. On the third day, Jian Xiong said to Lian Chixue, "The city lord is waiting for the envoy in the Chongxiao Hall. Please."

Upon hearing this, Lian Chixue nodded immediately and followed Jian Xiong to Chongxiao Palace.

"Please forgive me if there has been any inadequacy in our hospitality these past few days."

"Lord, you flatter me. Sword Forging City is no ordinary place; it has its own heroic spirit, which makes Chi Xuexin yearn for it."

Sword Master nodded upon hearing this. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Sword Master handed a letter to Sword Xiong, who then passed it on to Lian Chixue.

"This is a letter for your master. I will send my regards to your master. If he is available in the future, he may come to Sword Forging City for a chat."

(End of this chapter)