A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 394 Blood Jade

Gu Xu followed the old man into the manor. Looking around, he saw that the manor was simply furnished, with only a few rocks, a clump of green bamboo, and a clear spring.

The old man gestured and invited Gu Xu to join him. Gu Xu nodded and continued forward. A short while later, the old man led Gu Xu to the central courtyard.

"All the relics left behind by the Sword Ancestor are sealed in his bedroom. Please follow me, Daoist."

Following the old man, Gu Xu turned left and right until he arrived at a detached house. The house was built of ordinary green bamboo, but after many years, it was still as green as ever, without a trace of decay. This made Gu Xu's eyes narrow slightly. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that a simple spirit-gathering array was set up under the house. Unfortunately, after five hundred years, the spirit-gathering array had gradually lost its effectiveness and would collapse in a few months at most.

"This house was built by the Sword Ancestor himself. It has been sealed off since the Sword Ancestor passed away. Daoist, please."

The old man unlocked the copper lock on the door and pushed it open. A gust of wind rushed out, causing the old man's robes to flutter. Gu Xu, who was standing to the side, remained still, letting the wind blow over him.

A strong wind blew, but it couldn't even lift Gu Xu's robes, as if they were imbued with a tremendous force, which greatly shocked the old man watching from the side.

"This person's martial arts are unfathomable. I wonder if obtaining the Sword Ancestor's relics will be a blessing or a curse for the martial world." The old man sighed inwardly. Now he could only hope that Gu Xu could uphold the righteous path, otherwise the martial world would fall into turmoil.

"Let the meaning be conveyed in the wind, and let the spirit condense into form."

Gu Xu stared at the blurry figure in the room. It was not hard to tell that it was the Sword Ancestor. The old man seemed unaware that the Sword Ancestor had left a trace. Just as he was about to step inside, Gu Xu suddenly stopped him. Under the old man's puzzled gaze, Gu Xu shook his head and pointed inside, saying, "The Sword Ancestor left a mechanism here. Do not move around carelessly."

After giving a word of advice, Gu Xu took the lead and walked into the room. The old man's expression changed several times upon seeing this, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and followed.

Upon entering the room, Gu Xu found it to be very simply furnished. On the wall in front hung a faceless portrait of someone holding a sword. To the left was a sandalwood bed, with a long sword in a black sheath and yellow tassel hanging on one side of the curtain. On a table not far away, there was an old, plain white teapot and three teacups.

"This is everything that the Sword Ancestor left behind; it's all here."

After the old man entered, he first felt a chill, as if he had entered an ice cellar, but he quickly recovered. Following the instructions of his predecessor, the old man took out a sandalwood box about the size of a person's arm from a wooden cabinet and carefully placed it on the ground.

Seeing this, Gu Xu first watched the blurry figure gradually fade away, then glanced at the faceless portrait, and finally walked to the wooden box. He pointed at it with his finger, and with a snap, the copper lock fell to the ground. With a flick of his sleeve, the box lid opened with a click, revealing the contents inside.

Gu Xu and the old man looked closely and saw that the large wooden box contained many things, but most of them were small and miscellaneous. However, one of the notes caught Gu Xu's attention. He reached out, took it out, and opened it. He saw that it contained all sorts of strange and unusual events that the Sword Ancestor had encountered in his life, along with illustrations and explanations.

"This item is quite valuable; obtaining it alone makes the trip worthwhile." Gu Xu glanced at the old man who was sorting through his belongings, then placed the note on the table and bent down to search through the wooden box, but found nothing else of value.

"Old man, did the Sword Ancestor leave any clues about the wordless book?"

Upon hearing this, the old man nodded first, then said solemnly, "The Sword Ancestor's last words say that the clues about the wordless book are hidden in this bedroom. As for where it is, I do not know."

In fact, the old man wasn't lying. For the past five hundred years, this has been the same saying passed down through generations, and only those with the right destiny can decipher its profound mystery.

Gu Xu nodded upon hearing this, walked to the faceless portrait, and watched the person in the portrait wielding a sword and making hand seals. Following the direction the sword was pointing, Gu Xu saw the beam of the house.

With a swift movement, he took a wooden box from the crossbeam and landed it steadily. The old man immediately walked up and, looking at the long sword and two black and white chess pieces carved on the box, recognized it as the personal belongings of the Sword Ancestor.

The wooden box was unlocked, and Gu Xu opened it. The moment the box opened, a beam of red light shot into the sky, instantly turning the house crimson. Gu Xu placed the box on the table and reached inside to take out a piece of crystal-clear, palm-sized blood jade.

"This is the Sword Ancestor's most cherished possession."

Looking at the blood jade in Gu Xu's hand, the old man explained, "This blood jade has countless uses. Staying with it often can increase one's blood energy. As for whether it has any other effects, I have no idea."

Gu Xu played with the blood jade in his hand, feeling the immense vitality contained within it. If he could refine it, it would be enough to elevate his cultivation to a higher level. However, he still needed it to decipher the secret of the wordless heavenly book.

Looking at the white tattered cloth outside the hall inside the wooden box, Gu Xu picked it up and used the Blood Jade to illuminate it. He saw several lines of words appear on the originally white cloth.

"Blood Jade illuminates the Heavenly Book, the bright path of heaven and earth unfolds. The demonic path enters a deadly trap, the benevolent tread the path of life."

The old man whispered the four lines of the inscription, pondering for a long time but still not understanding their meaning. Gu Xu, on the other hand, seemed to be deep in thought. He put the blood jade and the white cloth back into the wooden box and said to the old man, "Today's trip has not been in vain. We have finally gained something. Now that the Sword Ancestor's relics have been found, your mission has been completed. You can now lay down your burden and enjoy your old age."

Upon hearing this, the old man shook his head, looked at Gu Xu, and said, "Now that the relic has been obtained, Daoist Master, you should leave as soon as possible. I only hope that you can make good use of this item, so as not to disappoint the Sword Ancestor's expectations."

After speaking, the old man turned and left the room. Seeing this, Gu Xu swept his hand across the table, put away the notes and the wooden box, walked to the portrait of the Sword Ancestor, solemnly bowed, and then turned and left.

After leaving the Sword Ancestor's bedroom, Gu Xu saw the old man sweeping the floor with a broom. The old man bowed to him and then walked quickly outside. A few breaths later, Gu Xu's figure disappeared.

……，……

In Tanxi City, Guan Yutian looked at Zhu Lang and Xue Jian, whose complexions had improved slightly, and felt a sense of relief. His great cause was not yet complete, and these two could not afford to have any problems. At present, the only people he could use besides Qian Xing were the two of them. As for Jian Yin... Thinking of this, Guan Yutian frowned slightly. Since Jian Yin had submitted to him, he could be said to have done his work almost perfectly, but that was all. He would not do anything that overstepped his bounds, which made Guan Yutian feel both relieved and somewhat helpless.

"Alliance Leader, news has come that Helian Ba ​​and his men have already set up defenses on Moonlight Island. Should we press on and wipe them out in one fell swoop?"

The Sea Shark Palace is currently at its weakest point. If the last resistance force can be eliminated, the Supreme Alliance will have one less opponent on its path to domination. Once the Sea Shark Palace is destroyed, Sword Forging City will be left to fend for itself.

"We must not rush this matter. Although the Sea Shark Palace is severely damaged, the Sword Forging City has not yet shown its true strength. We have already wasted a lot of time here and still cannot take down the Sea Shark Palace. We should postpone our offensive. The Sea Shark Palace has suffered heavy losses and will hardly be able to recover to its former glory in less than ten or twenty years."

Zhu Long objected at this moment. After some analysis, Xue Jian fell silent and turned his gaze to Guan Yutian at the head of the table. After a moment of contemplation, Guan Yutian said, "Helian Ba ​​was hit by my Mighty Dragon Palm and will not be able to get out for a while. Now is the perfect time to annihilate the Sea Shark Palace. As for Sword Casting City, I have other plans. Hall Master Xue, in seven days, gather the remaining allies. I will personally lead the attack on Sea Shark Island. Hall Master Zhu will stay in Tanxi City to ensure everything goes smoothly."

"I obey my orders."

Zhu Long was disappointed to hear that Guan Yutian was still determined to deal with the Sea Shark Palace, but he didn't say anything more. Perhaps the Alliance Leader had his own plans. However, after a series of battles, the Supreme Alliance would inevitably suffer heavy losses, making it more difficult to deal with Sword Casting City in the future.

On a high hill atop Moonlight Island, Helian Ba ​​sat cross-legged, using the bright moonlight to circulate his inner energy and slowly repair his injuries. Under the moonlight's healing power, the fierce power of the Mighty Dragon Palm within Helian Ba's body was gradually drawn out. He opened his mouth and spat out a jet of hot, thick blood onto the ground. With a few hissing sounds, the lush green grass instantly turned to ashes.

"Guan Yutian's Dragon Palm has improved a lot. He can no longer hold the line with just Shadow Clone and Mind Distraction Palm. He needs to master Wind God's Wrath as soon as possible, otherwise there will be no more Sea Shark Palace."

In the previous battle, Helian Ba ​​and Guan Yutian were evenly matched. However, Guan Yutian relied on his indestructible body to withstand Helian Ba's distraction palm strike. He seized this fleeting opportunity and countered with a powerful dragon palm strike. Although both of them hit their opponent, Helian Ba ​​still suffered a loss. The power of the dragon palm strike was incompatible with the martial arts he cultivated. Once it entered his body, it was like a burning ember falling into a block of ice.

“If this palm strike had landed, it would have taken at least a month to recover before, but this time, with the Wind God's Wrath cultivation method, we can resolve this issue much faster.”

With a firm resolve, Helian Ba ​​immediately circulated his true energy according to the key points of the Wind God's Wrath Heart Technique in his mind. Miraculously, as soon as the Wind God's Wrath Heart Technique was activated, the Mighty Dragon Palm Force entangled in his body seemed to have met its nemesis. His true energy, like a whale sucking water, completely absorbed and dissolved the palm force. An hour later, Helian Ba's face turned red, and with a "poof," he spat out a dark red blood clot radiating scorching heat onto the ground.

Looking at the scorched open space in the middle, Helian Ba ​​felt a sense of relief. After calming down a bit, Helian Ba's eyes sharpened. Guan Yutian had just severely injured the Sea Shark Palace. According to his nature, he would definitely press his advantage. Now the Sea Shark Palace had lost the power to resist. However, if he could cultivate the Wind God's Wrath and severely injure Guan Yutian, he could buy some time for his side.

Furthermore, if Sword Forging City discovers such an opportunity, they certainly won't let it pass.

Taking a deep breath, Helian Ba ​​continued to cultivate the Wind God's Wrath. Under this cultivation, he found that the technique was not as difficult to master as the legends suggested. After only a short while, a Wind God's Dharma Image appeared behind Helian Ba, with a face very similar to Helian Ba's. The air currents surged, and the pressure was overwhelming.

However, what Helian Ba ​​did not know was that this Wind God Dharma Image was incomplete. The true Wind God Dharma Image should wear a Four-Mysterious Crown, be dressed in Spirit Wind Armor, hold a Wind God Sword, wear Cloud-Ascending Boots, be surrounded by pure energy, and be protected by auspicious clouds above his head.

The incompleteness of the Wind God Dharma Form is precisely because the mental cultivation method is incomplete. Even after many years of cultivation, Baili Qu'e himself still has not attained the true method. Even if Helian Ba ​​has some comprehension, he can at most reach Baili Qu'e's level and will never be able to surpass him.

Half an hour later, Helian Ba ​​slowly finished his practice, and the wind god dharma image behind him gradually dissipated. He opened his eyes, looked at the red glow on the sea in the distance, stood up, felt the cool sea breeze, and had a deep gaze.

Just then, the Second Elder of the Sea Shark Palace rushed over. Upon seeing the Palace Master, his face lit up with joy, and he quickly took a few steps forward.

"Elder Wang, what has happened?"

Hearing footsteps behind him, Helian Ba ​​asked without turning his head.

"Palace Master, news has come from Zhou Ying of Sword Forging City that Guan Yutianyi is consolidating his forces and preparing to continue attacking us. Please make a decision as soon as possible."

"Don't panic. The Supreme Alliance only sent six hundred people this time. After a fierce battle, it would be good if half of them could stay. Moreover, the Sea Shark Palace has natural barriers to prevent them from coming easily." Helian Ba ​​turned around, looked at Elder Wang, and said calmly, "Elder Wang, you must immediately take the remaining disciples back to Sea Shark Island as soon as possible. No one may leave the island without my order. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

Elder Wang was taken aback at first, then his expression changed, and he said urgently, "Palace Master, you..."

"I have my own considerations, Elder Wang. Rest assured, I would not put myself in a trap. Go ahead."

Helian Ba ​​waved his hand without offering any further explanation. Elder Wang sighed upon hearing this and said solemnly, "Please, Palace Master, protect yourself. As long as you are here, Sea Shark Palace will not be destroyed."

After speaking, Elder Wang clasped his hands in a salute, turned and left. After watching Elder Wang leave, Helian Ba ​​turned around, looked at the rising sun, and his eyes became deep.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye. Guan Yutian, along with Xue Jian and 230 allies, set off for Moonlight Island in a grand procession under the moonlight.

Although it was night, the Supreme Alliance's commotion had already attracted the attention of Sword Casting City. A disciple immediately reported to Zhou Ying and Song Yun. After listening, the two dismissed the disciple and Zhou Ying stood up and looked at Song Yun, saying, "I will go this time. Junior Brother, you stay here to prepare for the worst."

Upon hearing this, Song Yun nodded. Zhou Ying immediately selected fifty disciples and quickly left the camp to ambush on the road that the Supreme Alliance had to take to Moonlight Island. However, as time passed, they did not see anyone from the Supreme Alliance. Just then, a group of people appeared in Zhou Ying's sight. However, these people made Zhou Ying's expression change slightly. Looking at the black eagle pattern embroidered on their robes, she knew that they were from Eagle Fortress.

"It seems that Guan Yutian is determined to take the Sea Shark Palace, and he has even sent out Eagle Fortress."

Seeing Bai Yanluo, the leader, look over, Zhou Ying knew that their ambush had been exposed. In a flash, she landed in front of Bai Yanluo. At the same time, fifty disciples also swiftly landed behind Zhou Ying. In terms of sheer numbers, Sword Forging City had the advantage, but Zhou Ying knew that several of the enemy's fighters were no less skilled than herself, and their overall combat strength was superior. This battle could be considered a close contest, a battle of quantity versus quality, to see who had the better advantage.

(End of this chapter)