A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 392 Chess Record Acquired
Gu Xu took the "Thousand Spirits Chess Manual," opened it, glanced at it briefly, and then closed it. The nun Si Xin, who was standing to the side, looked surprised when she saw this.

She had only glanced at it before, and her mind was almost overwhelmed. The more her cultivation level increased, the more she could sense the strangeness of this object. Simply put, if this object fell into the hands of someone who did not know any martial arts, it would be no different from an ordinary chess manual. However, the more profound a person's martial arts were, the more they would be drawn into it and unable to extricate themselves. Although Master Gu Xu's cultivation was profound, she had already foreseen this beforehand, but seeing it with her own eyes still made Master Si Xin admire him greatly.

"The Thousand Spirits Chess Manual was left by the Sword Ancestor. Daoist Gu Xu was not misled at all, which clearly shows that his cultivation has surpassed that of the Sword Ancestor."

Gu Xu carefully put away the "Thousand Spirits Chess Manual" and said to Abbess Sixin, "Abbess, this Thousand Spirits Chess Manual is related to a very important matter, and we cannot tell you about it now. However, if it succeeds, the turmoil in the martial arts world will be quelled in the shortest possible time. In addition, the news that this chess manual is in Sixin Sect may have already been learned by others. Just in case, Abbess, you can keep this chess manual safe. If someone tries to take it by force, as long as he does not harm anyone, you can hand it over to him."

Gu Xu took out a thin book from his package and handed it to the puzzled Abbess Sixin. After taking it, she saw that the chess manual was clearly written with the four characters "Thousand Spirits Chess Manual". The only difference was that the pages were brand new, and it was obvious that it was recently made.

"I appreciate your kindness, Daoist Master."

Master Sixin was not foolish. Since the Taoist priest said so, he must have his reasons. Now the Sixin Sect is dwindling in talent, and Liu Yiyi has not yet fully matured. She was not afraid of death, but the sect's lineage must not be broken.

The Taoist priest was kind and righteous. Even if he hadn't left behind this fake chess manual, she wouldn't have had any objections. But he still did it, which clearly showed that he didn't regard the Heartless Sect as a dispensable tool. She secretly remembered this favor.

"The nun's ruthlessness has already begun to show its power. When cultivating recently, you must not be too impatient. You might as well play some soothing music to harmonize yin and yang. This may have a miraculous effect."

Upon hearing this, Abbess Sixin's eyes lit up. Indeed, those involved are often blinded, while bystanders see clearly. The ruthless realm of the Seven Absolute Zither is fierce and indestructible. Blindly relying on strength is actually detrimental. Even if one masters it, it will only cause damage to the body. No wonder previous sect leaders had all stopped at the realm of absolute severance. It seems that the lack of opportunity and inability to comprehend its secrets was one of the reasons.

"Thank you for your guidance, Taoist Master."

"This is nothing. The martial arts world will definitely experience a lot of turmoil in the next six months. If it is not necessary, Master, please try not to get involved."

Sword Forging City has already allied with the Sea Shark Palace, and the Supreme Alliance has already felt threatened. Now, Guan Yutian has personally led people to Tanxi City, presumably to teach both factions a lesson.

“This humble nun knows that the Death Heart Sect is a place of seclusion and avoidance of the world, and it will continue to do so in the future.”

Late at night, ten miles outside Tanxi City, Guan Yutian looked at the defense line of the Sea Shark Palace not far ahead. He saw a fire dragon running across the north and south for more than ten miles. Where the firelight shone, there were many figures. At a rough glance, there were at least three or four hundred people.

"Alliance Leader, we just received news that the Grand Elder of the Sea Shark Palace has led a group of elite troops to retreat to Moonlight Island. There are only two or three hundred people left to defend the line. Should we launch an attack immediately?"

Xuanwu Hall Master Xue Jian looked at Guan Yutian, who remained silent after hearing this. Xue Jian glanced sideways at Zhu Que Hall Master Zhu Long, who shook his head at him.

"All warfare is based on deception, and the truth is ever-changing. Helian Ba's plan is quite clever, but unfortunately, under absolute power, all schemes and tricks are useless. Hall Master Xue, Hall Master Zhu, have your men launch a full-scale attack on the place where the fire is the brightest. Kill one person and you will be rewarded with five taels of silver. If you capture any high-ranking members of the Sea Shark Palace, there will be an even greater reward. Go!"

Guan Yutian waved his hand, and Xue Jian and Zhu Lang immediately agreed. After they went down, a large group of people rushed towards the opposite defensive line in no time. Under the firelight, they saw faces with frost-like expressions and murderous intent.

"Helian Ba, with both arms severed, let's see how you still contend with the Supreme Alliance."

Guan Yutian had already made up his mind that no matter how much the Sword Forging City could help the Sea Shark Palace, he would severely damage the Sea Shark Palace so that it would not be able to recover for twenty or thirty years.

"If the Sea Shark Palace is defeated, the Sword Forging City will be left to fend for itself. No, there is also the Heartless Sect. The Heartless Seven Absolutes Zither is the nemesis of innate Qi. We must get rid of her as soon as possible."

On the opposite side, within the Sea Shark Palace's defensive line, watching the rapidly moving torches, both Third Elder Wu Yuzhong and Fourth Elder Lu Fu wore solemn expressions. Wu Yuzhong stood up and shouted to the rear, "The Supreme Alliance is about to attack! All disciples, be careful!"

As soon as Elder Wu said this, the news spread rapidly to both sides. Before long, all the disciples of the Sea Shark Palace knew about it and immediately perked up, waiting for the enemy to arrive. A few moments later, Wu Yuzhong gripped his sword tightly and felt the ground tremble. The footsteps were becoming clearer and clearer. Judging from the sound, the Supreme Alliance had at least five hundred people, most of whom were elites. It would not be a problem for him to fight two against one.

"kill!"

Wu Yuzhong stood up, drew his sword, and shouted. The disciples of the Sea Shark Palace behind him rushed toward the flames as if their lives depended on it. In just a few breaths, the sounds of fighting rang out, and the torches were extinguished one after another.

Wu Yuzhong stood in the outer room, holding his sword, watching the two sides' battle with a gloomy gaze. Apart from the initial advantage that caught the other side off guard, the Sea Shark Palace had suffered seven casualties in his eyes: three dead and four wounded. However, the four wounded were also swallowed up by the crowd and disappeared after a few swaying movements.

"Elder Wu, Zhu Long is here to learn from you." Just as Wu Yuzhong was preparing to kill several powerful opponents, a voice rang in his ears.

Wu Yuzhong was startled. He dodged and saw a cold light shoot out, striking a stone with a clang. The stone hissed and emitted a cloud of white smoke. The pungent smell made Wu Yuzhong's expression change slightly. He flicked his sleeve, and the white smoke condensed into a ball, which he flung away.

"What a brilliant move, 'Solidifying the Void'! I've long heard that Elder Wu's Spirit-Locking Hand is unparalleled in the martial world, and today I can finally witness its true form."

Zhu Lang's figure flashed, and the thin sword in his hand emitted a cold light, transforming into thousands of cold stars that flew towards him. The piercing coldness made Wu Yuzhong move. Without having time to think, Wu Yuzhong swung his sword repeatedly, and the clanging sound of the sword clashing was incessant. Sparks flew everywhere, and he took three steps back in a row. The thousands of cold stars were finally deflected.

Wu Yuzhong's right hand, gripping the sword, felt slightly numb. He was much more wary of Zhu Lang. Among the four halls of the Supreme Alliance, the most famous was undoubtedly Ren Qianxing of the White Tiger Hall, followed by Sima Tian of the Azure Dragon Hall. As for the Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise Halls, they rarely appeared in public; only their names were known, and little else was known. Elder Wu had initially thought Zhu Lang's lack of fame was due to insufficient strength, but this first encounter greatly changed his opinion. Zhu Lang's cultivation was in no way inferior to Ren Qianxing's. He felt both jealous and helpless. The Supreme Alliance was truly blessed to have such a talent. In contrast, his own side was depleted of talent; apart from a few elders who could barely hold up the situation, the rest of the disciples were unlikely to amount to anything.

Seeing Zhu Long about to charge forward with his sword again, Wu Yuzhong's eyes sharpened. He trembled his sword and moved in an instant, turning into several afterimages as he surrounded Zhu Long from all sides. Several sword lights streaked through the air, their sharp sounds whistling and buzzing. Seeing his opponent's fierce attack, Zhu Long not only did not retreat but also showed excitement on his face. Looking at the sword lights slashing from all sides, Zhu Long turned his body, and with a click, the slender sword in his hand grew another three feet longer than it originally was.

Zhu Long flicked his wrist, and the sword drew a circle, hissing and whistling as it pierced through the phantoms. With a twitch of sword energy, the phantoms shattered instantly, and only one sword light remained, which was Wu Yuzhong's true form.

Wu Yuzhong was shocked to see his sure-kill attack broken in such a way. Now he couldn't stop. His eyes hardened, and he continuously channeled all his true energy into the sword. The sword rang out incessantly, and its spiritual light flashed like a star in the dark night.

With a clang, Zhu Lang's slender sword and Wu Yuzhong's precious sword clashed. Then, the slender sword twisted and, like a rope, bound Wu Yuzhong's sword. The latter's expression changed, and he tried to retract his weapon, but he felt a heavy force on the blade. At the same time, the blade emitted a series of mournful sounds. Wu Yuzhong knew something was wrong. Zhu Lang sneered, and with a flick of his slender sword, Wu Yuzhong's precious sword shattered into pieces with a few cracking sounds, leaving only a three-inch-long blade in his hand.

With a single sword strike, Zhu Long deflected the broken sword thrown by Wu Yuzhong. Seizing the opportunity, he pressed his advantage, his slender sword moving nimbly, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, sometimes up, sometimes down, elusive and unpredictable. He wielded the Lingyou Sword Technique with unparalleled skill, and in just a few moves, Wu Yuzhong, now without his weapon, was at a disadvantage, with several wounds on his body.

"Elder Wu, if you don't use the Soul-Locking Hand soon, you will surely die tonight."

Zhu Long stabbed Wu Yuzhong again with his sword, a trail of blood spurting from the tip. The sword trembled slightly, and Zhu Long held it horizontally in front of his chest, coldly looking at the disheveled Wu Yuzhong. Upon seeing this, Wu Yuzhong took a few breaths, then took a deep breath. His face flushed instantly, and blue light suddenly appeared in his hands. A layer of blue glass aura also appeared on his body, shimmering like a piece of blue crystal, dazzling in the night.

Seeing this, Zhu Long immediately perked up, his face showing an eager expression. He swept his left hand across the sword, and a crimson light flashed. He shifted his feet and moved in an instant, sending a crimson sword light like a fire meteor towards Wu Yuzhong. The latter, seeing this, showed no joy or sorrow. He looked at the incoming fire sword light and blocked it with his right hand. With a clang, the sword tip pierced straight into his palm, but it did not pierce through his opponent. Instead, the sword was shaken and bent. If this sword had not been forged a thousand times, it would have broken by now.

Moreover, Zhu Long also felt a binding force on the sword, and his true energy could not be properly channeled into the sword.

"So this is the Soul-Locking Hand? It lives up to its name." In just a few breaths, Zhu Long felt the thin sword in his hand become extremely heavy. Immediately, he unleashed a "Blazing Palm" with his left hand towards Wu Yuzhong. This palm strike was extremely hot; an ordinary person would be instantly turned into a charred lump if struck by it, but it was not enough to deal with Wu Yuzhong.

As expected, after the Fiery Palm was unleashed, Wu Yuzhong watched indifferently. Then, he raised his left hand and unleashed another Spirit-Locking Palm. The fierce Fiery Palm seemed to be extinguished by water, dissipating before it could even reach him. However, with this movement, the Spirit-Locking power in Wu Yuzhong's right hand decreased slightly, and Zhu Lang immediately seized this opportunity. With a flick of his slender sword, he broke free from the opponent's palm force like a drill.

Zhu Long sheathed his slender sword and immediately unleashed a horizontal slash, "Horizontal Cliff." Wu Yuzhong reached out with his left hand, intending to grab the sword again, but Zhu Long unexpectedly changed his sword technique. The horizontal slash was reversed, the hilt meeting the attack head-on. With a crack, the hilt shattered, revealing a hidden short blade. Wu Yuzhong reacted swiftly, grabbing the blade with his left hand and crushing it into a pile of scrap metal with a slight effort. At that moment, a glint flashed in Zhu Long's eyes. He switched the reversed sword to his left hand and suddenly thrust it, striking Wu Yuzhong's left Shenmen acupoint. Wu Yuzhong's left hand immediately slumped down as if severely injured, clearly rendered useless.

Zhu Long succeeded in his first strike, and his movements were even faster. He unleashed another Fiery Palm with his right hand, greatly weakening Wu Yuzhong's combat power. Wu Yuzhong was momentarily slow to react, only realizing what was happening when the Fiery Palm was about to strike him. He could only hastily counter with his own palm.

With a bang, their palms collided, and Wu Yuzhong was instantly knocked back several steps. His face turned pale instantly, and before he could catch his breath, Zhu Lang's swordsmanship, which was getting faster and faster, put Wu Yuzhong in a difficult situation. However, after a dozen or so moves, Wu Yuzhong's left chest was pierced by a thin sword, and his right arm was hit by a Fiery Palm. Half of his body turned black.

"Even if I die, I will make you pay with your life!" Knowing that he had no chance of survival this time, Wu Yuzhong gathered the last bit of true energy in his body, grabbed the thin sword stuck in his chest, and tried to break it. Zhu Lang saw this and snorted coldly. With a twist of the thin sword, the sword energy hidden in Wu Yuzhong's body immediately exploded. With a bang, Wu Yuzhong's body exploded like a honeycomb, and countless pieces of flesh and blood flew out, staining the ground red, and even Zhu Lang's body was stained with some.

"The Soul-Locking Hand is nothing special."

Zhu Long shook his robes, removing the blood and flesh, and drew his thin sword. The sword trembled, and the blood on it immediately slid off, regaining its crimson glow.

Seeing Wu Yuzhong's unseeing eyes, Zhu Long threw several more poisoned darts, piercing his vital points. After checking him for a while, he realized that Wu Yuzhong was completely dead. He then prepared to turn and leave. However, just as he turned around, Wu Yuzhong, who was already dead, suddenly opened his eyes. A dark light flashed in his eyes. He quietly stood up, looked at Zhu Long's back, and attacked with a dark palm strike.

"you!"

Zhu Long sensed a fierce wind coming from behind and dared not turn around. He hurriedly dodged to the side, but unexpectedly, Wu Yuzhong's phantom appeared in that direction. He mustered his strength and shattered the phantom with a bang, but he was struck in the back and immediately fell to the ground, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood. Looking at Wu Yuzhong, who had also fallen to the ground, Zhu Long's face was extremely ugly.

"The combination of the Black Demon Palm and the Dividing Heart Palm is truly remarkable."

Zhu Long examined his injuries and found that the situation was dire. Almost all of his meridians were damaged, and his dantian was throbbing with pain. He felt excruciating pain whenever he tried to circulate his true qi, and cold sweat poured down his face.

"Pfft," Zhu Long spat out another mouthful of blood, but this blood was bright red, not black, which made Zhu Long's face even paler.

"I never expected that I would still fall for their scheme in the end." Zhu Long had already lost his fighting ability, and anyone who found him could kill him. Now, all Zhu Long could do was hope that the Supreme Alliance could resolve the battle as soon as possible.

"Wu Yuzhong must have used some kind of secret technique just now. We need to write it down. In the future, if we want to kill such high-ranking officials, we need to cut off their heads."

The sound of footsteps began, and the noise was chaotic. Zhu Long's expression hardened slightly, and he sat up straight, waiting for the person to arrive.

"Brother Zhu, what's going on?"

(End of this chapter)