A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 393 The Former Residence of the Sword Ancestor
Xue Jian looked at Zhu Leng's pale face and the scattered corpses beside him. He quickly walked a few steps behind Zhu Leng, placed his hands on his back, and began to channel his inner energy into him. The disciples of the two halls stood guard on all four sides. After a while, Zhu Leng slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, his face regaining a slight rosy hue. He opened his eyes, turned around, and nodded to Xue Jian. The latter helped him up and asked in confusion, "Brother Zhu, what happened?"

Zhu Long's martial arts skills are no less than Ren Qianxing's. Logically speaking, dealing with an elder should not be a difficult task for him. How could he be in such a sorry state?

"I was caught off guard, brother. Wu Yuzhong had a hidden trick up his sleeve. If I hadn't reacted in time, I wouldn't be just seriously injured. By the way, what's the situation now?"

"Apart from those who retreated in advance, all the disciples of the Sea Shark Palace here have been wiped out. The Alliance Leader should be fighting fiercely with Helian Ba ​​right now. Let's not talk about this for now. This place is not safe. The people from Sword Casting City are hiding in the shadows and may come out at any time. Let's go back first."

Although the Supreme Alliance won a great victory, the people of the Sea Shark Palace were all prepared to die. After a series of battles, the Supreme Alliance also suffered heavy casualties. Meanwhile, the Sword Casting City, which Xue Jian had been on guard against, never showed up, making it difficult for him to relax.

Zhu Long naturally did not object upon hearing this. He could be said to be completely powerless now, and if he encountered the people of Sword Casting City, he would definitely become a burden.

"Walk."

Xue Jian waved his hand, and everyone returned the way they came. But after walking for only a short while, Xue Jian stopped, raised his hand to stop everyone, looked at the dark space in front of him, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and waved his hand downwards. A barrage of hidden weapons shot forward, but no sound came out.

Zhu Long stared ahead with a grave expression. Something was strange. Could it be...?

With a whoosh, the sound of hidden weapons piercing the air came. Zhu Long's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly dodged to the side. Xue Jian and the others were obviously prepared in advance, and they either swung their weapons to block or dodged, and none of them were hit.

"Gentlemen of Sword Forging City, now that you're here, show yourselves. What kind of heroes hide their heads and tails?"

Xue Jian spoke loudly towards the front, and the people behind him all held their weapons and stared intently ahead. After the voice was heard, sparks of fire suddenly appeared in the dark sky, forming a continuous line, like a winding fire dragon. After the fire dragon appeared, Zhu Long looked at the two leaders and thought to himself that something was wrong.

"The Twin Heroes of the Mysterious Sword!"

Xue Jian clearly recognized the two men. The middle-aged man with a green robe and sword, a white face and no beard, and eagle eyes was Zhou Ying, one of the Xuanjian Twin Heroes. The middle-aged man with a blue robe and sword, and a weathered face, was Song Yun, another of the Xuanjian Twin Heroes.

These two men had made a great name for themselves in the martial arts world in their early years with their pair of Xuan swords. Later, for some unknown reason, they went into seclusion and never left the Sword Forging City for thirty years. Unexpectedly, the Sword Master has sent them out this time.

"Brother Xue, these two are not easy to deal with. One of them is already quite troublesome, not to mention that they have also cultivated the Yin-Yang Sword Technique, which is truly exquisite. You must be careful."

Zhu Long briefly described what he knew about the two men's martial arts skills, and Xue Jian nodded upon hearing this, immediately understanding the situation.

"If I hadn't been seriously injured, how could these two have done anything to us?"

Zhu Long's expression immediately turned grim. Upon closer reflection, he realized that these two must have been nearby when he fought Wu Yuzhong. They must have seen him lose his fighting ability before they came after him. With him as a burden, they might distract Brother Xue. Although this tactic was crude, it was quite useful in this situation.

"Master Zhu, Master Xue, if you two can stay here for half an hour, your lives will be safe. Otherwise, you will bear the consequences."

Zhou Ying stepped forward, clasped her hands in a salute to Zhu Long and Xue Jian, and then planted her long sword, still in its sheath, into the ground. An invisible, sharp aura immediately spread out.

Seeing this, Song Yun remained silent, walked to Zhou Ying's side, and also sheathed his sword in front of him. His face was as cold as frost, and his eyes were icy, which truly made the Supreme Alliance members opposite him tremble with fear.

"You two have already retired, so why bother getting involved in this mess? Wouldn't it be better to enjoy your retirement instead of coming here to die?"

With his precious sword in hand, Xue Jian was instantly enraged upon hearing Zhou Ying's words. The sword hummed and transformed into a streak of light, slashing towards Song Yun. However, Song Yun showed disdain upon seeing this. He didn't even draw his sword. Instead, he pointed a finger, and the brilliant sword light shattered with a bang. The surging air currents stirred up dust, obscuring the vision of both parties.

"You two take Hall Master Zhu away immediately, the rest of you follow me to meet the enemy!"

Xue Jian knew that he would not be able to get through this hurdle if he did not defeat these two. After giving a few simple instructions, Xue Jian narrowed his eyes, found a direction, and ran off quickly. That was where Song Yun was.

"In terms of skill alone, Song Yun is weaker than Zhou Ying, but we need to finish this battle quickly, otherwise once he adapts to your moves, the longer it goes on, the more disadvantageous it will be for you."

As Zhu Long's words echoed in Xue Jian's ears, he swept away the dust with his blade. A white light flashed, parting the dust to reveal Song Yun. The white light continued its momentum, closing in within a foot in the blink of an eye. Just as Song Yun was about to be killed with a single strike, he suddenly drew his sword. A dragon's roar resounded, and a dazzling sword light bloomed in the night. With a clang, the white light was dispersed.

"It's not that easy to launch a sneak attack after all."

Xue Jian sighed inwardly, then his expression turned solemn. He used the Bagua Step, his figure blurring and making it impossible to discern his true form. Song Yun's eyes flickered, and his sword rang out with a clear, resonant sound. After a whistle, he flashed towards Xue Jian, his sword flashing and slashing, constantly obliterating the afterimages. Seeing that there were not many afterimages left in the field, Zhou Ying nodded slightly and looked at Zhu Long and the others who were preparing to break through the encirclement.

"Do it!"

At Zhou Ying's command, more than thirty disciples from the Sword Forging City immediately drew their swords and charged forward, quickly engaging the disciples of the Supreme Alliance. The sounds of battle rose and fell continuously. Although the Supreme Alliance had the advantage in numbers, they had already fought a battle with the Sea Shark Palace, and their fighting strength was inevitably reduced. In addition, they had to take care of Zhu Long, which restricted their actions. In just a short time, several people had already lost their lives, and the losses were still increasing.

"Don't worry about me, go help!"

Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhu Long immediately sent out the four men guarding him. The four men hesitated for a moment before leaving. As a result, Zhu Long was left unprotected and any enemy could kill him.

"Zhu Long is quite decisive, but tonight's battle will surely benefit the Supreme Alliance and the Sea Shark Palace, making them the stepping stones for my Sword Forging City."

Zhou Ying stared at Zhu Long opposite her. The reason they were willing to leave Sword Casting City this time was because the Sword Master had drawn up an enticing pie for them. As long as they could weaken the Supreme Alliance and the Sea Shark Palace, Sword Casting City would be the one to unify the martial arts world in the future.

The Sword Master promised that as long as Zhou Ying and Song Yun completed their mission, he could send their direct descendants to the inner city to cultivate superior swordsmanship, eliminating the need for them to undergo the sword-fighting trials. Zhou Ying and Song Yun were not alone; they had disciples and relatives behind them. Such tempting offers were irresistible to them. As the saying goes, the blessings of a virtuous person last only five generations. Currently, they had no outstanding disciples, and once they were gone, their lineage would inevitably decline.

About half an hour later, the battle was nearing its end. The Supreme Alliance had suffered a crushing defeat, with only about twenty people remaining, all of whom were injured. In particular, Xue Jian, the Xuanwu Hall Master, had three broken swords stuck in his body, and blood was flowing uncontrollably, making Zhu Lang's face contort in horror.

"What a stubborn man you are! Let this old man see you off."

Zhou Ying's eyes sharpened, and with a flick of her sleeve, her sword was drawn and shot out like a bolt of lightning. The sword's energy hissed, carrying immense force. Just as the sword was about to pierce Xue Jian, a dragon-shaped palm energy suddenly attacked, instantly enveloping the sword. With a swirling motion, several soft cracking sounds rang out, and the thousand-forged sword shattered inch by inch, turning into a pile of fragments that drifted down.

"Dragon Palm, let's go!"

Zhou Ying's expression changed, and she hurriedly shouted to Song Yun. She then led the remaining dozen or so disciples to retreat quickly. However, several disciples were unable to react in time and were struck by the Mighty Dragon Palm. After a few miserable screams, they lost their breath.

"Stop chasing!"

Guan Yutian descended from the sky, stopping the crowd that wanted to give chase. His figure flashed and he arrived beside Xue Jian. He placed one palm against Xue Jian's back and instantly injected a stream of pure true energy into Xue Jian's dantian. After a moment, Guan Yutian withdrew his palm, looked at the three broken swords, reached out and sucked them out cleanly. He then used his right index and middle fingers to press and seal the acupoints, and took out a wound medicine from his pocket to apply to the wounds, temporarily stopping the bleeding.

"I didn't expect the Sword Master to be so generous, sending out the Xuanjian Twin Heroes and the Blazing Sun Nine Swords. It seems he intends to sever my two arms. Hall Master Zhu, what happened on your end? Why are you in such a sorry state?"

Guan Yutian frowned as he looked at Zhu Long, whose aura was weakening. He was somewhat displeased. Zhu Long's strength was beyond question; otherwise, he wouldn't have been sent to deal with Wu Yuzhong.

"It is my fault for failing in my duties. I beg the Alliance Leader to punish me!"

Zhu Long had no intention of exonerating himself at this moment. If he hadn't been careless and fallen for Wu Yuzhong's sneak attack, he wouldn't have been forced into such a predicament by the Xuanjian Duo. If the Alliance Leader hadn't arrived in time, the leaders of the Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise Halls would probably have perished here.

Upon hearing this, Guan Yutian didn't know what else to say. Looking at the weak Zhu Long and Xue Jian, and then at the wounded disciples, he pondered for a moment and said, "Let's go back to Tanxi City first."

"Yes!"

……，……

After bidding farewell to Master Sixin, Gu Xu first traveled westward by boat along the Liang River. After three days of travel, he disembarked and rode a horse towards Three Swords Mountain, the former residence of the Sword Ancestor. Seven days later, Gu Xu finally arrived at Three Swords Mountain. Looking into the distance, he could see three towering peaks standing straight up against the horizon. It was noon, and the clouds and mist had dissipated. Gu Xu focused his eyes and could easily see the various sights on the mountain. On the mountainside of the middle peak, nestled among green pines and cypresses, a sizable manor stood out prominently.

"That is the former residence of the Sword Ancestor. It is still so well preserved after hundreds of years. It turns out that there is a protective array."

Gu Xu looked at the three mountain peaks that vaguely formed a formation, with the key center located in the former residence of the Sword Ancestor. After a moment's thought, Gu Xu dismounted and leaped, using the cliffs between the mountains as a streak of light to rush towards the manor. His movements were incredibly fast, and with each sway of his figure, he had covered several miles. In no time, Gu Xu had reached the foot of the middle mountain peak. After a brief pause, he ran directly up the mountain wall. The cliff was as flat as ground under Gu Xu's feet. After running for half a quarter of an hour, he landed steadily in front of the manor.

Seeing the poised and unyielding stance, Gu Xu took a deep breath and called out loudly into the manor, "I am Gu Xu, and I have come to the former residence of the Sword Ancestor to retrieve an item. I request that the person in charge of the manor appear before me."

Inside the manor, an old man was sweeping the courtyard. The already spotless bluestone surface shone even brighter under his broom, so shiny it could reflect a person's image. After sweeping the last bit, the old man put the broom aside, turned around, and walked into the ancestral hall. The ancestral hall was simply furnished. On the snow-white wall in front, there was only a picture of the Sword Ancestor. On the altar, there were a few fruits and an incense burner. At this moment, the incense in the burner had burned out.

As the last wisp of incense was about to go out, the old man lit three more sticks of incense, bowed respectfully, and placed them in the incense burner. The fragrant smoke wafted out, obscuring the Sword Ancestor's face.

"Five hundred years."

The old man murmured to himself, looking at the portrait of the Sword Ancestor, and sighed. Just then, his expression suddenly changed. An outsider had broken in and was already outside the manor. At the same time, Gu Xu's voice reached the old man's ears without missing a single word.

"Such profound skill! When did such a person emerge in the martial arts world?"

The old man's expression immediately turned solemn. Although he lived in seclusion on Three Swords Mountain, he knew a great deal about some famous figures in the martial arts world. Guan Yutian and Sword Master Helian Ba ​​were his main focus. However, upon hearing this voice today, he was shocked to realize that the cultivation of this Daoist Gu Xu was far superior to the above three. Moreover, the fact that he mentioned taking something made the old man's heart sink.

"What is meant to be will be, let's see what kind of person he is."

The old man slowly walked out of the ancestral hall and headed towards the outer room. About half a quarter of an hour later, Gu Xu heard the footsteps becoming clearer and clearer. He immediately felt reassured. With a creak, the manor gate opened from the inside, and an old man in plain clothes walked out. He stopped in front of the gate and stared intently at Gu Xu opposite him.

"Greetings, Daoist Gu Xu."

The old man was first surprised by Gu Xu's extraordinary appearance, and then he noticed the mysterious aura emanating from him, along with a sharp aura surrounding him. It seemed that his swordsmanship had reached a divine level, otherwise such a phenomenon would not exist.

"I apologize for disturbing you. I have come here abruptly because of an artifact left behind by the Sword Ancestor that concerns the lives of all people. Therefore, I have come here specifically to retrieve it. I hope you will grant me this favor." After a pause, Gu Xu took out the Thousand Spirits Chess Manual from his robes, waved it at the old man, and said in a serious voice, "Do you recognize this chess manual, sir?"

"The Thousand Spirits Chess Manual!"

The old man was speechless. After watching Gu Xu put the chess manual away, the old man remained silent for a long time before sighing, "Since the Thousand Spirits Chess Manual is in your possession, Daoist, you can naturally take the Sword Ancestor's relic. However, although the relic is hidden in the manor, I do not know exactly where it is. Daoist, please come in first and we will talk about it later."

The old man reached out and knocked on the right door knocker twice, then knocked on the left door knocker three times. The protective mechanism of the manor immediately dissipated. Gu Xu thanked him and slowly walked into the manor.

(End of this chapter)