A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 411 Attack
After Guan Yutian emerged from seclusion, Ren Qianxing immediately relinquished his authority and then led a team of elites from the White Tiger Hall towards the Dead Heart Gate in secret. At the same time, Guan Yutian also mobilized his troops, sending out all the elites from the four halls. Several sects affiliated with the Supreme Alliance also dispatched personnel, totaling only a hundred or so, but still a formidable force. In addition, eight skilled fighters from the Azure Eagle Fortress, led by White Yama, joined the effort. The entire force of several hundred people marched towards Sword Forging City without any concealment.

Just as the Supreme Alliance was about to march on Sword Forging City, the Sword Master had already received the news. Looking at the message on the letter, the Sword Master's expression was somewhat solemn. Although he had expected it, the number of people mobilized by the Supreme Alliance still shocked him.

"The Supreme Alliance has sent out all its elites, and they are coming with great force. Although my Sword Forging City is not afraid, I am afraid that the two sides will fight and the third party will benefit. Helian Ba ​​is hiding in the shadows and is unwilling to show himself. What should we do?"

Sword Master still harbored some apprehension towards Helian Ba. Although the Sea Shark Palace was gone, it should have left behind a considerable number of people. If Helian Ba ​​were to launch a sneak attack from behind at the most crucial moment of his battle with Guan Yutian, the losses would be incalculable.

Gu Xu said calmly, "I have calculated the situation a few days ago. Although the situation is dangerous, if we can get through it, the unique position of Sword Forging City can be established. Now the city lord has the advantage of location and popular support. As long as we follow the pre-arranged plan, there should be no problem."

Upon hearing Gu Xu's words, Sword Master was overjoyed. After taking a deep breath, Sword Master bowed solemnly to Gu Xu and said in a serious voice, "Daoist Master, I entrust the Arrow Concealment place to you."

Gu Xu nodded upon hearing this.

"I have already sent my spies to monitor the Supreme Alliance along the way, trying to find out their strength before they arrive at Sword Forging City. This battle is unavoidable, so we can only try to minimize casualties."

"I have already discussed this with Mr. Yao. We will take out the Spirit-Replenishing Pill first. After this matter is over, the city lord will need to replenish all the medicinal materials, and also add 30% more."

Since receiving several pill formulas from Gu Xu, Yao Yuansheng has been studying them day and night. In addition, the Sword Venerable gave him many precious medicinal materials out of respect for Gu Xu. During this period, he has been able to refine many precious pills, and this Spirit-Replenishing Pill is one of them.

"Thank you, Taoist Master."

Upon hearing this, the Sword Master was overjoyed. Although this Spirit-Replenishing Pill was not as good as the Daoist's Heaven-Mending Pill, and could only replenish vital energy at critical moments and last for only an hour, it was already a divine pill for the lower-level disciples. If all the disciples had this pill, it could be said that they had an extra life.

As for the medicinal herbs that Gu Xu mentioned, they were nothing to Sword Forging City, which possessed a vast and fertile land in the north. It seemed that the Taoist priest said this to put his mind at ease.

After traveling slowly for three days, the Supreme Alliance group was already close to Narrow Dragon Ridge.

Looking closely, one can see two towering mountain peaks facing each other, with only a narrow underground passage for people to pass through. Because the shadow of this passage resembles a long dragon under the sunlight, it is named as such.

"Alliance Leader, the Narrow Dragon Ridge is just ahead," Zhu Que, the leader of the Vermilion Bird Hall, said to Guan Yutian, who was sitting in the carriage.

"Yes, pass down the order: once we cross the Narrow Dragon Ridge, we will find a spacious area to rest."

"Yes."

Zhu Long agreed, pulled on the reins, said something to Xue Jian, then turned his horse around and headed towards the back of the carriage.

After a short while, Zhu Long returned to report.

"Alliance Leader, the instructions have been given. At our pace, we should be able to reach Narrow Dragon Road in about half an hour."

"Ah."

After Guan Yutian, who was in the carriage, responded, he fell silent. Zhu Long bowed again and rode to the front, riding alongside Xue Jian. Looking at the faintly visible green mountains ahead, Zhu Long said to Xue Jian, "Be careful ahead."

Xue Jian naturally understood Zhu Long's meaning. This Narrow Dragon Ridge was easy to defend but difficult to attack. If someone were to ambush a troop of surprise troops here, they would inevitably suffer heavy losses. However, since Guan Yutian dared to station himself here, he must have considerable confidence. He spared no expense in purchasing a hundred fine steel shields and dozens of crossbows, as well as hundreds of thunder pearls. If anything went wrong, he would immediately send them to attack.

"Do not worry."

After replying, Xue Jian confidently led his men forward.

On the other side of Narrow Dragon Ridge, hidden among the trees, stood several figures, their eyes fixed on the Narrow Dragon Path. One of them, a man in black wearing a bamboo hat and a long sword at his waist, twitched his ears and turned to the group behind him, saying, "Gentlemen, the Supreme Alliance has arrived. Remember our purpose this time: to seize the Nine Dragon Stone. Before we have the Nine Dragon Stone, if anyone disregards the agreement and targets our own people, I will tear them to pieces."

As soon as the man in black spoke coldly, the people behind him immediately said they dared not. Seeing this, the man in black nodded in satisfaction. He knew that these people from all walks of life were not respectable and each had their own ulterior motives, but he didn't care. In his eyes, they were all cannon fodder. Once he got the Nine Dragon Stone, they would be of no use to him anymore.

Hearing the increasingly clear sounds of hooves and footsteps, the man in black waved his hand behind him. Suddenly, forty or fifty figures appeared, each holding a hidden weapon, ready to be unleashed at the man in black's command.

Another half hour passed, and just as everyone was getting impatient, the man in black looked at the figure that had appeared and said in a deep voice, "They've arrived."

Everyone saw the two men and two horses emerge from the road first. The man in black looked at the two men and his heart stirred. Weren't these two supposed to be seriously injured and on the verge of death in the battle with the Sea Shark Palace? How come they look so energetic today, with no trace of serious injury?

“It must be the Nine Dragon Stone, that’s right. Only such a divine object can restore them to their original state. Such a divine object should belong to me, Black Spirit.”

Hei Ling's eyes flashed, his desire for the Nine Dragon Stone reaching its peak. He had been stuck at the first-rate level for ten years, and his lifespan was coming to an end. If he could not make any further progress, all the martial arts he had painstakingly cultivated would be in vain. How could he be willing to accept this? Later, he accidentally learned that the Nine Dragon Stone was in Guan Yutian's hands. However, because the Supreme Alliance was heavily guarded, even though he was a first-rate master, he did not dare to face Guan Yutian directly and could only sigh in vain.

However, by sheer chance, Guan Yutian led a large army to the Sword Forging City, and he also took the Nine Dragon Stone with him. The Black Spirit Taoist's mind immediately became active, so he recruited people from all walks of life and bandits, preparing to attack the Supreme Alliance halfway.

"Brother Zhu, you were absolutely right. There really are some fearless fools waiting here. It seems they've forgotten the power of the Supreme Alliance." Xue Jian pulled on the reins, and the horse immediately stopped in its tracks.

After scanning his surroundings, Xue Jian snorted coldly. Since being healed by the Nine Dragon Stone, Xue Jian's senses of the outside world had become more acute. In addition, the martial arts skills of those people in the shadows varied, and their auras were strong or weak. Upon noticing this, he immediately realized that one of them was not simple.

"Who dares to be so insolent here? Get out here right now!"

Xue Jian stopped Zhu Long, dismounted, and walked to a spacious area. Just as he finished speaking, there was a whooshing sound as if something was cutting through the air. Xue Jian sneered, reached behind his back, and took out a silver-white steel shield to protect himself. Dozens of hidden weapons struck the shield, sending sparks flying, but the shield remained completely undamaged.

Black Spirit Taoist narrowed his eyes as he looked at the steel shield. Then, he gripped a white bone nail with both hands, channeling his true energy into it. The nail transformed into a pale white light and shot straight towards the steel shield. Xue Jian, who was holding his shield and on high alert, heard the whistling sound and his expression hardened. He hurriedly used his shield to block the direction from which the white bone nail was coming. As soon as Black Spirit Taoist moved, the lowly figures who had been slightly less aggressive began to throw hidden weapons at Xue Jian's location again.

With a clang, the bone needle pierced the steel shield squarely. The powerful force made Xue Jian's wrist go numb. Moreover, seeing the sharp point protruding from the shield, Xue Jian's expression changed drastically, and he was extremely shocked. This steel shield could only leave a white mark when an axe struck it. This small needle had such power. The person behind it was probably no less skilled than Hall Master Ren and the Alliance Leader.

Having successfully tested Xue Jian, he immediately retreated, shield in front of him, the clanging sounds echoing incessantly. After several breaths, Xue Jian finally retreated back into the mountain path. Zhu Long, who was waiting there, was startled to see Xue Jian's grim expression. He quickly dismounted and came to his side, urgently asking, "Brother Xue, what exactly is happening outside?"

Zhu Long couldn't help but be anxious. As soon as the group stopped, the alliance leader immediately knew. After hearing his report, Guan Yutian simply said to resolve it as soon as possible, and then sat comfortably in the carriage without saying anything more. After all, such a matter was really not a big deal for Guan Yutian.

"They're just a bunch of rabble, but one of them is highly skilled, his power is no less than that of the Alliance Leader and Hall Master Ren, you see."

Xue Jian took the steel shield and handed it to Zhu Leng. Zhu Leng, noticing the conspicuous inch-long spike on it, felt a chill. After a closer look, he gasped. The steel shield was three inches thick, yet it had been pierced by this spike. This person's internal energy cultivation had reached its peak. After a moment's thought, Zhu Leng said to Xue Jian, "The iron shield formation isn't suitable here. Let's use thunder beads to clear the way." Xue Jian hesitated only briefly before agreeing. Although using thunder beads here was somewhat wasteful, it was worth the slight sacrifice to avoid unnecessary casualties. Moreover, since getting used to bombarding opponents with thunder beads, Xue Jian had gradually come to like this tactic.

After the two agreed, Xue Jian led thirty Iron Shield Guards as the vanguard and charged out in one go. As expected, as soon as they left the mountain path, they were met with a barrage of hidden weapons. However, Xue Jian had warned them beforehand, and everyone stacked their iron shields to form an iron wall and moved forward continuously. Half a moment later, they were less than ten feet away from the Black Spirit Taoist.

"What a clever shield technique, but I was prepared for it." Black Spirit Daoist looked at the gleaming silver steel shield and sneered.

However, just as he was about to give an order, he suddenly saw holes appear around the iron wall. While the Black Spirit Taoist was wondering about this, jet-black, shiny orbs shot out from them. They were incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, they were already in front of the Black Spirit Taoist. With a flash of black light, they exploded in mid-air. With a loud bang, accompanied by screams of agony, rocks crumbled, trees were broken, and shockwaves shot into the sky. Before the acrid dust had dissipated, mangled corpses slid down from both sides of the mountain path.

Black Spirit Daoist looked at the tragic scene with a disheveled expression, his heart trembling. The Supreme Alliance actually possessed such a powerful weapon as the Thunder Pearl. If he hadn't run away quickly, those few Thunder Pearls would have been enough to blow him to pieces.

Even the most meticulous plans can have flaws.

Black Spirit Daoist glanced around. Of the more than one hundred people who had been struck by the Thunder Pearl, only half had survived, and all of them were injured. After examining them, Black Spirit Daoist's face turned terribly gloomy. An old man dressed as a fisherman not far away suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"Master, what should we do now? What is that thing?" Hanjiang Sou, carrying a fishing rod on his shoulder and enduring the chill, came to the side of Heiling Daoist and asked in a low voice.

The reason why these people from all walks of life were willing to obey the Black Spirit Taoist's orders this time was not only because they were intimidated by his martial arts skills, but also because of the Nine Dragon Stone and other benefits.

They usually live a miserable life, and they only practice some unorthodox martial arts. It is already quite good if they can reach the second level. It is extremely difficult to advance further. Among the hundred or so people who came, besides him, there are only two first-level masters: Old Monster Qing Gou and Fairy Caiyun.

Therefore, after Black Spirit Taoist gave them the Qi-Nourishing Pill, the three of them immediately helped Black Spirit Taoist recruit people without saying a word. However, the current situation was something they had not expected. If they had died in real combat, that would have been one thing, but they died so tragically without even seeing the person. How could the survivors not be afraid?

"That's a Thunder Pearl, an extremely ferocious weapon. Even top-tier experts can only dodge it. Luckily, the three of you dodged quickly, otherwise, they would have suffered the same fate as you."

The Black Spirit Taoist pointed to a corpse that had been blown to pieces not far away.

"But don't worry, this thing is not easy to make, and the Supreme Alliance doesn't have many of them. Well, we've already come to this point, so there's no room for us to back down."

Black Spirit Taoist stared intently at the terrified Old Man Hanjiang. Upon seeing this, the latter immediately expressed his respect, saying, "What you say is very true, Master. This old man will obey your orders."

Hearing that Old Man Hanjiang was so sensible, Daoist Heiling nodded in satisfaction, then looked at the effeminate middle-aged man in a green robe with narrow eyes and the fair-skinned beauty in colorful clothes and a flying fairy bun not far away.

"What does the Venerable Master intend to do?"

Old Monster Qing Gou and Fairy Caiyun walked quickly towards Black Spirit Daoist, meeting his gaze, and stood beside Old Man Hanjiang. Then Old Monster Qing Gou asked Black Spirit Daoist a question.

"Once the dust settles, the three of you will hold off the others for me. I will deal with Guan Yutian. Regardless of whether things succeed or not, you may leave in half an hour. These three bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills will serve as advance payment."

Black Spirit Taoist casually tossed out three bottles of pills, which the three old monsters, Green Hook and his companions, hurriedly caught.

"We will follow the Master's instructions."

The three carefully put away the pills and immediately adopted their stance. They had already obtained the benefits, and if things went wrong, they could escape. However, this Black Spirit Daoist was a key figure, and the Supreme Alliance would certainly not let him go.

Black Spirit Daoist glanced coldly at the three people, then looked away and towards the mountain path obscured by the turbid air. After a while, the turbid air gradually dissipated. Upon seeing this, Black Spirit Daoist gave a command to make a move, and four figures rushed down the mountain path towards the figures that had appeared and disappeared.

As soon as the four of them moved, the remaining low-level figures followed suit. The sound of falling rocks clearly reached Zhu Long and Xue Jian's ears.

"coming!"

The two men looked at the four figures charging at the forefront, gave an order to the person beside them, then drew their weapons, leaped into the air, and with flashes of light, rushed straight at the attackers.

Seeing the incoming blade of light, the Green Hook Old Monster's face turned cold. He threw the green bag behind him forward, and the bag shattered with a clang, revealing a cold, green hook inside. With a twist of the hook, he shattered the incoming blade of light. The Green Hook Old Monster nodded to the Black Spirit Taoist, and the other three continued to rush forward.

"So it's you, you old monster. Looks like you're really tired of living, daring to provoke the Supreme Alliance." Zhu Long gripped his treasured sword, landed, and coldly stared at the old monster Qing Gou.

"The Supreme Alliance is a large and powerful organization, and they would never expect us ordinary folks to do this. We are just looking to make some money. As long as Hall Master Zhu sends us ten Great Yuan Pills, I will leave immediately. What do you say?"

"court death!"

Zhu Long's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and his precious sword gleamed coldly as it transformed into several afterimages, heading straight for the Green Hook Old Monster. Upon seeing this, the latter remained calm and composed. Instead of clashing with the opponent's precious sword, his curved hook swept towards Zhu Long's chest.

Looking at Caiyunxian beside him, Heiling Daoist said to her, "Guan Yutian's carriage is not far ahead. Since your power is insufficient, you should wait outside to provide support." After saying that, without waiting for Caiyunxian's reply, Heiling Daoist transformed into a streak of black light and continued to fly forward.

Before Caiyunxian could react, several weapons were already thrusting towards her. Without time to think, she waved her ribbon, weaving a ball of five-colored light to deflect the incoming attacks one by one.

Just as the three old monsters of Qing Gou were fighting against Zhu Long and the others, the other low-level figures also clashed with the disciples of the Supreme Alliance. At first, the low-level figures had the upper hand, but as time went by, they began to suffer casualties. In just half a moment, three of them were killed, while the Supreme Alliance only lost one person.

Black Spirit Daoist looked at the luxurious carriage, used his lightness skill to land lightly in front of it. The guards protecting the carriage rushed forward with their weapons upon seeing the enemy, but Black Spirit Daoist simply flicked his sleeve, catching all the thrusting weapons. With a forceful movement, the weapons snapped in two with a few cracking sounds. His sleeve returned, and the shattered weapons transformed into streaks of light that shot towards the carriage.

"Protect the Alliance Leader!"

The guards cried out in alarm at the sight, and the others hurriedly swung their weapons to block, but they were forced to retreat repeatedly. Before they knew it, they had retreated more than ten feet. By the time they reacted, the Black Spirit Taoist reached out and grabbed two disciples, throwing them into the carriage. Just as the two were about to rush into the carriage, a gust of wind came out from inside the carriage and, with a single swirling motion, stabilized their figures, allowing them to land steadily on the ground.

"Black Spirit, it's been many years. Your martial arts have improved quite a bit."

"Your martial arts skills have improved at an astonishing pace."

Black Spirit Taoist looked at the fluttering carriage curtain with slight apprehension. His move just now was so natural and skillful that it had reached a level of subtlety and perfection.

(End of this chapter)